Choose the correct Assertive form of the following Exclamatory sentence:
How strange that the canteen ran out of samosas before the first break!
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It is very strange that the canteen ran out of samosas before the first break.
Exclamatory to assertive (“How strange that” to “It is very strange that”):
- An exclamatory sentence shows a strong feeling, such as joy, surprise or sorrow, and ends with an exclamation mark.
- An assertive sentence states a fact or an opinion and ends with a full stop.
| Change | Exclamatory | Assertive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening words | How strange that | It is very strange that | “How strange that” shows surprise. In the assertive sentence it becomes “It is very strange that”. |
| End mark | (!) | (.) | An assertive sentence ends with a full stop. |
| Full sentence | How strange that the canteen ran out of samosas before the first break! | It is very strange that the canteen ran out of samosas before the first break. |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: It is not strange that the canteen ran out of samosas before the first break. — Incorrect. It adds “not”. This gives the opposite meaning.
Option 3: Is it strange that the canteen ran out of samosas before the first break? — Incorrect. It is a question. It is not an assertive sentence.
Option 4: It is very strange that the canteen runs out of samosas before the first break. — Incorrect. It changes “ran out” to “runs out”. The tense must stay the same.