Select the correct Exclamatory form of the given sentence:
The old boatman rows his shikara very smoothly across Dal Lake.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → How smoothly the old boatman rows his shikara across Dal Lake!
Assertive to exclamatory (How + adverb + subject + verb):
- An assertive sentence states a fact or an opinion and ends with a full stop.
- An exclamatory sentence shows a strong feeling, such as joy, surprise or sorrow, and ends with an exclamation mark.
| Change | Assertive | Exclamatory | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening words | very smoothly | How smoothly | The sentence says how the boatman rows. “Very” goes away, and “How smoothly” comes first. |
| End mark | (.) | (!) | An exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation mark. |
| Full sentence | The old boatman rows his shikara very smoothly across Dal Lake. | How smoothly the old boatman rows his shikara across Dal Lake! |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: How the old boatman rows his shikara smoothly across Dal Lake! — Incorrect. It puts “smoothly” after the verb. “How” and “smoothly” must come together at the start.
Option 3: How smoothly the old boatman rowed his shikara across Dal Lake! — Incorrect. It changes “rows” to “rowed”. The tense must stay the same.
Option 4: How smoothly the old boatman row his shikara across Dal Lake! — Incorrect. It changes “rows” to “row”. The singular subject “boatman” needs “rows”.