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Teo Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Exclamatory questions.
1. Hasn't she grown!
2. Has she grown!
What's the difference in meaning between the above two exclamatory questions?
2. Has she grown!
What's the difference in meaning between the above two exclamatory questions?
Top answer
The first is a rhetorical question, a comment on how a child has grown since you last saw her/him. It is not expecting an answer. The second is a straight question and should have a question mark, not an exclamation mark.
- The first is a rhetorical question, a comment on how a child has grown since you last saw her/him.
- It is not expecting an answer.
- The second is a straight question and should have a question mark, not an exclamation mark.
- It is merely asking for information.
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3 Answers
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The first is a rhetorical question, a comment on how a child has grown since you last saw her/him. It is not expecting an answer.
The second is a straight question and should have a question mark, not an exclamation mark. It is merely asking for information.
The second is a straight question and should have a question mark, not an exclamation mark. It is merely asking for information.
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But there is an exlamatory, affirmative version too, something like "Has she ever grown!" Without the some sort of emphatic word like "ever" it sounds funny to my ears.
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According to Quirk , the difference is that the second sentence is less formal ..
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