“Hi! How’s life? Hope all well!! See you next week!!!”
6 exclamation marks in such a short message. To improve your written communication skills, please go back to your inbox, text and whatsapp messages and check how many times you’ve used exclamation marks.
An exclamation means “a sudden cry expressing surprise, strong emotion or pain”. There’s no need to express strong emotion each time you greet someone or sign off an email.
The exclamation is the most OVER-USED symbol in the English language and makes you come across as a poor communicator.
Also, if you must use an exclamation mark, one is more than enough. There really is no need to say “Sure!!!!”. More exclamation marks don’t make your argument or point stronger. Below are examples of where you’d use an exclamation mark:
“I couldn’t believe my ears!” (surprise)
“Hurray! We won!” (intense joy)
“Gosh! That was scary!” (fear)
Before you hit ‘send’ on your next email or message, spend a few seconds removing unnecessary demonstrations of intense emotions. It’s the simplest and easiest step in your journey towards becoming an effective communicator.
Nim Gholkar, 2021