Exclamations and questions

The characters in 'Rama to the Rescue' say many things with strong feeling. On pages 31 and 32 of your book, Poorvi, you learn two kinds of sentences.

A sentence that shows a strong feeling is an exclamatory sentence. It ends with an exclamation mark (!). At the start, the tired man says, 'Oh, hum! What a hard day it has been!' That shows tiredness. Later the thief thinks, 'Ah, at last, they've stopped their chatter!' That shows relief.

Some exclamations are very short. When the wife says 'Ssssh!', it means 'be silent'. When Rama the kotwal sees the hole in the wall and says 'Oh, Oh!', it shows surprise.

A sentence that asks a question is an interrogative sentence. It ends with a question mark (?). The couple ask, 'What should we do?' and 'What should we name our child?'

So when you write, ask: is this sentence showing a strong feeling, or asking a question? Then end it with ! or ?. For example, 'Oh, how big the hole is!' shows a feeling, and 'What is your favourite story?' asks a question.