Choose the best option to convert the given assertive sentence in to exclamatory sentence:-
I wish I knew more people here
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → If only I knew more people here!
Assertive to exclamatory (a wish):
| Change | Assertive | Exclamatory | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening words | I wish | If only | A wish stated with “I wish” becomes an exclamation with “If only ...!” (or “Would that ...!”). |
| End mark | (.) | (!) | The sentence ends with an exclamation mark. |
| Full sentence | I wish I knew more people here. | If only I knew more people here! |
The verb stays in the past form ("knew"), which shows a wish about the present that is not true.
Example: I wish I were taller. → If only I were taller!
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Oh! I knew more people here. — Incorrect. Without "if only", "I knew more people here" is a statement about the past, not a wish.
Option 3: What a pity to have known more people here! — Incorrect. It means the speaker is sorry he did know more people, the opposite of the wish.
Option 4: Alas! I could have known more people here. — Incorrect. "could have known" expresses regret about the past, while the wish is about the present.