Andrushka

The exclamation point, that is. I have long detested exclamation marks. They are emblematic of weak writing, just like smilies. Both are used as crutches to convey emotion by writers who find they haven't got the vocabulary to communicate nuanced meanings. And yet, despite my disgust with this particular punctuation, I have started employing it with distressing frequency! The problem, you see, is grading. I don't think I'm alone in this regard. Many composition teachers try to stifle the exclamations in their student's work with comments like, "Avoid exclamation points!" or "Let the words lend their own emphasis!" Alright, so those examples are a bit over the top. Still, when I'm writing "show, don't tell" or "cite sources" for the fifteenth time in that sitting, exclamation points just sneak in there. And I'm not alone. Other teachers with much more experience than me have commented on the phenomenon. So why does it happen? Is exclamation frenzy a manifestation of the axiom, "By behold we become changed," like in my ESL class when I suddenly start speaking with poor grammar? Or is it just an indication of brewing frustration? Either way, I'm becoming an exclaimer and I need to cut it out!

Posted by Scott on 10 March 2006 at 3/10/2006 07:26:00 PM | Permalink