Changing sentences from Assertive to Exclamatory sentence is an essential part of transformation of sentences in English language and grammar. Here are 7 rules of transforming sentences from assertive to exclamatory sentence or exclamatory to assertive sentence along with examples and explanations. Using these rules, you are able to change a sentence from assertive to exclamatory sentence.
Assertive to Exclamatory Sentence Transformation
In order to understand this lesson properly, you should have clear idea about kinds of sentences and basic structure of sentences. In the process of transformation, you should always remember that you can’t change the meaning of sentences except the structures.
But before discussing the rules of transformation of sentences, I would like to give you clear idea about the assertive and exclamatory sentence and their basic structure.
Here is the definition and structure of both Assertive and Exclamatory sentences.
What is Assertive Sentence?
Assertive sentence means the sentences which are used to describe any general action, event, speech, or expression of our daily life. It may be both affirmative and negative sentence.
Example:
The morning is very fine today.
Your latest story is very much interesting.
Structure of Affirmative: Subject+ verb+ object+ Adjunct
What is Exclamatory Sentence?
Exclamatory sentence means the sentences which are used to express the emotion of joy, sorrow, or wonder of our daily life.
Example:
What a nice bird it is!
Hurrah! We have won the final match.
Structure of Exclamatory Sentence: There are 2 structures of exclamatory sentences.
Structure-01: (What/How + adjective+ noun+ subject+ verb+ !)
Structure-02: (Exclamatory word+ !)+ subject+ verb+ object+ extra
NOTE: An important matter that you must remember that in an exclamatory sentence, the verb comes at the end of a sentence and after that you have to put an exclamation sign (!). An exclamation word and sign can also place in the beginning of the sentence after an exclamation phrase such as hurrah!, alas!, and fie!.
Now, I hope you have no problem in recognizing the assertive and exclamatory sentences in English.
So, let’s start our main discussion which is transformation of sentences from assertive to exclamatory.
Changing Sentences Assertive to Exclamatory
A few points you must consider while transforming sentences from assertive to exclamatory sentence in English.
- You cannot change the meaning of sentences
- An exclamatory sentence may start with the Wh-question words: ‘what/how’ or an exclamation word such as hurrah!, alas!, fie, and so on.
- If there is ‘a/an’ word before the adjective word- ‘very/great/fine’ in assertive sentence, you have to use the word ‘what’ in case of having ‘a/an’ word. But if there is no ‘a/an’ word, you will use the word ‘how’ at the beginning of the exclamatory sentence.
- Do not forget to use the exclamation mark (!) at the last of the sentence in exclamatory.
One interesting point!
Following these rules and the arranged method, you can easily change sentences from assertive to exclamatory or exclamatory to assertive even without knowing the meaning of the sentences.

Assertive to Exclamatory Rules
Rules | Assertive | Interrogative |
Rule: 1 | a very/ a great/ a fine/ a most | (What a/an+ adjective+ Noun+ Subject+ Verb+ !) |
Rule: 2 | very/ fine/ great | (How+ adjective+ Noun+ Subject+ Verb+ !) |
Rule: 3 | I wish (Unreal condition) | If/had/would that/o that+(same as) |
Rule: 4 | I hope (Real condition) | If+ (same as) |
Rule: 5 | It is a matter of joy that/ We rejoice that…. | Hurrah!+ (same as) |
Rule: 6 | It is a matter of sorrow/regret that… | Alas!+ (same as) |
Rule: 7 | It is shameful that… | Fie! Fie!+ (same as) |
Assertive to Exclamatory Sentences Examples
Now here are the examples on all the rules step by step. Try to study these examples comparing the rules in chart. Because examples are the practical field of the rules through which you will learn the process of transformation.
Rule: 1 – A very/ A great/ A fine/ a most
Example:
Assertive: It is a very interesting story.
Exclamatory: What an interesting story it is!
Assertive: The boy is a great fool.
Exclamatory: What a fool the boy is!
(In case of having ‘a/an’ before great/ very/ most)
Explanation: here, you have to put the question word-‘what’ at the beginning of the sentence because there is the word ‘a/an’ before the adjective word ‘great/very’. After that, you will put the adjective word and noun word from the given assertive sentence. Finally, you will place subject and then the verb at last with an exclamation mark (!).
Rule: 2 – Very/ Fine/ Great…..
Example:
Assertive: The girl was very beautiful.
Exclamatory: How beautiful the girl was!
Assertive: The afternoon is very fine today.
Exclamatory: How fine the afternoon today is!
(In case of not having ‘a/an’ before great/very/fine)
Explanation: Here, you have to put the question word-‘how’ at the beginning of the sentence because there is no word ‘a/an’ before the adjective word ‘great/very/fine’. After that, you will put the adjective word and noun word from the given assertive sentence. Finally, you will place subject and then the verb at last with an exclamation mark (!). If there is any extra word, you will put that before verb at last.
Rule: 3 – I wish (Unreal condition)
Example:
Assertive: I wish I were a king of this city.
Exclamatory: If I were a king of this city!
Assertive: I wish I had a palace like this.
Exclamatory: Had I a palace like this!
Assertive: I wish I could fly like a bird.
Exclamatory: Would that I could fly like a bird.
(You will use the verb “could’ in this pattern in every place)
Explanation: Here, in exclamatory sentence you can use the word ‘If/had/would that/o that’ instead of the word ‘I wish’ of assertive sentence. After that, you will rewrite the same thing that is in assertive sentence. Only in case of the structure ‘would that/o that’, you have to use the verb ‘could’ in structure.
Rule: 4 – I hope (Real condition)
Example:
Assertive: I hope you study better for next exam.
Exclamatory: If you study better for next exam!
Explanation: Here, in exclamatory sentence you can use the word ‘If’ only instead of the word ‘I hope’ of assertive sentence. After that, you will rewrite the same thing that is in assertive sentence. You cannot use the word ‘had/would that/o that’ here.
Rule: 5 – It is a matter of joy that/ We rejoice that….
Example:
Assertive: It is a matter of joy that we have won the final match of this year.
Exclamatory: Hurrah! We have won the final match of this year.
Assertive: We rejoice that we have placed as first in the competition.
Exclamatory: Hurrah! we have placed as first in the competition.
Explanation: Here, in exclamatory sentence you will use the word ‘hurrah’ instead of the word ‘It is a matter of joy that/We rejoice that’ of assertive sentence. Next, there will be the exclamation mark (!). After that, you will rewrite the same thing that is in assertive sentence.
Rule: 6 – It is a matter of sorrow / regret that…
Example:
Assertive: It is a matter of sorrow that his father has died last night.
Exclamatory: Alas! His father has died last night.
Assertive: It is a matter of regret that he has again failed in exam.
Exclamatory: Alas! He has again failed in exam.
Explanation: Here, in exclamatory sentence you will use the word ‘alas’ instead of the word ‘It is a matter of sorrow/regret that’ of assertive sentence. Next, there will be the exclamation mark (!). After that, you will rewrite the same thing that is in assertive sentence.
Rule: 7 – It is shameful that…
Example:
Assertive: It is shameful that you have lost the document.
Exclamatory: Fie! Fie! You have lost the document.
Explanation: Here, in exclamatory sentence you will use the word ‘Fie! Fie!’ instead of the word ‘It is shameful that’ of assertive sentence. Next, there will be the exclamation mark (!). After that, you will rewrite the same thing that is in assertive sentence.
Summary: Assertive to Exclamatory
There are the all rules used for the transformation from assertive to exclamatory. It’s an important lesson both for School & College Exams and University Admission Tests. So, make sure that you have studied this lesson carefully.
If you want to study more grammatical lessons based on transformation of sentences in English, please check out these lessons given below:
- Degree Change Rules
- Voice Change Rules
- Changing Assertive to Imperative Sentence
- Changing Assertive to Interrogative Sentence
- Changing Affirmative to Negative Sentence
Have you noticed one thing?
You have not to change all the elements in a sentence during transformation. In the chart you have observed that there are certain words or phrases which will be changed in the same position. The other elements remain unchanged and will be replaced changing the positions in sentence. You can try these exercises on transformation based on exclamatory sentences.
I hope, you can easily remember this chart of 7 rules of transformation and use them in changing sentences as needed. This lesson on transforming sentences from assertive to exclamatory sentence will help you change sentences in your academic or test exams successfully.

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