When should I use an exclamation point in writing?

Answer 1

The short answer is rarely, especially in academic writing.

I often see students use exclamation points in their academic papers and essays. I'm glad to see they are excited about what they are writing, but the exclamation point should be reserved for non-academic writing and fiction writing. And then it should only rarely be used.

Want to demonstrate action and excitement in your writing? Use strong -- and precise -- verbs. That will add color and strength to your writing and help you avoid the overused and unwelcome exclamation point. Save the exclamation for your social media posts.

Answer 2

One hundred percent agree with everything Deborah said above.

The exclamation mark is usually a crutch, and you want to be very judicious about when and how you use it. If the only reason your sentence is emotive or exciting is because of an exclamation mark, it means you didn't write an emotive or exciting sentence to begin with. It's a non-starter in academic/formal writing, and the only place I'd ever recommend using it would be in certain pieces of dialogue.

Hope this helps,

Milton :)