: Re: How to make a statement formulated like an exclamation, but even-toned? In writing, particularly writing dialogue or speech-like prose, it is custom to use the punctuation to indicate the tone

@Sims2267584

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are there cases where it would be frowned
upon using something like that?

Not that I'm aware of. If you are talking directly to your reader, there is a big chance you are already using a colloquial tone. "Boy, was I wrong!" isn't much more informal than "Boy, was I wrong."; there is barely a difference.

Should I prefer using an exclamation point in every case, or try to
reformulate the statement?

It's up to you to decide the style. I wouldn't use them in a formal or scientific article, but otherwise they are fine. If you feel that exclamations are a good fit to get your point across, you probably should use them.

Personally I'd rather avoid them, but it's a matter of taste. There may be cases where you may want your reader to read the sentence with an higher tone, but on a more general basis I'd use italics to emphasize the test. So, "Boy, was I wrong." works for me more than "Boy, was I wrong!" and doesn't risk seeming too childish while staying colloquial.

But then again, this is just me.

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