Exclamation points (!)
Even rarer than question marks, exclamation points are almost never used in academic or formal writing. They owe their rarity in academic writing to the spirit of dispassionate discussion that formal writing usually requires.
The excitability communicated by an exclamation disqualifies the exclamation mark from acceptable use.
The importance of some fact should be obvious enough when stated, which means it should not need to be exclaimed. The exclamation point in academic writing is a bit like the shout in polite conversation.
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleBryson, S. (March 27, 2017). Exclamation points (!). Scribbr. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/exclamation-points/
