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Subject:! From:"Lori A. Moreland" <lamorela -at- CLE -dot- AB -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 22 Aug 1994 16:34:47 -0400
Les Klein says:
The exclamation mark should never be used just for emphasis.
Then why does my Harbrace College Handbook directly contradict this, to wit:
"Use the exclamation point after an emphatic interjection and after a phrase,
clause or sentence to express a high degree of surprise, incredulity, or other
strong emotion."
The associated example is classic:
"Oh! A pox on them both!"
My 'lil grammar book goes on to warn me against overuse. But all it tells me to
do is to use a comma after mild interjections. Nothing at all in there about
italics, bolding, or underlining.
Wonder how it feels about emoticons? %-D
