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F. Scott Fitzgerald said that an exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke. It's worse still when you sprinkle 'screamers' around your copy at random, because they are gramatically incorrect too.
There are times when you need exclamation marks. If you are writing an imperative, e.g. Put that down! then the exclamation mark is needed, in fact it can be essential in some contexts to make your meaning clear.
You should also use it for actual exclamations, such as Wow!
And that's about it. If you insist on writing it after ordinary statements simply because you want to add emphasis, your copy reads as if you're adding "We're just crazy guys down here!!!" This effect is reinforced further if you add several screamers instead of just one. Perhaps the most important point here is that only evidence will persuade readers, not wild claims or extravagant punctuation.
Anyway, it's OK to write Low prices. Buy now! because the second part is a command to act. Putting two exclamation marks will not make your message stronger.
You could also put Amazing! Buy now! – this is gramatically correct, if a little bit hysterical. |
