users have already moved on from the exclamation mark; it has been superseded by the advent of emoticons. Emoticons have a major advantage over the exclamation mark; they provide a fresh alternative with an exclusive icon for each emotion that the writer wants expressed, thus removing uncertainty. The colourful red and yellow icons used online clearly cannot be incorporated into formal writing and novels, however, I believe a system based on emoticons but with a more muted and refined repertoire is the answer. This new system will completely replace every role of the exclamation mark thus far. : Surprise Happiness Volume Anger Therefore, these are the series of the four new punctuation marks that are being proposed and the essence of what they would convey. The design is similar to current emoticons however they will easily be able to integrate themselves into writing at a variety of registers. As a further advantage over the obsolete exclamation mark the new set do not require a full stop to follow them, thus allowing sentences to flow more smoothly without being broken up; creating a more enjoyable experience for the reader. Below are four example sentences, complemented by the new punctuation marks. As can be seen the new set of punctuation marks has achieved a much richer sense of tone, with clearer emotions in the same sentences than with the exclamation mark.
I passed! I passed Hello! He boomed Hello he boomed Oh my Gosh! Oh my Gosh: Get off my land! Get off my land
This new series of four punctuation marks will not only serve the needs of language that the exclamation mark has until now. They will also allow writers in the fields of novel writing to advertising to go much further than before in creating emotion, tone and expression in written English to match that in the oral form. I anticipate that the new punctuation will be adopted quickly after its introduction as users will enjoy the novelty of using them in their writing. However after the allure has rubbed off, I believe this set of four small punctuation marks will prove to be a cornerstone in modern punctuation and become an endearing image of the new age of English and the wonderful, flexible nature of our ancient language.
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