You know you make me want to exclaim

What is it with people using exclamation marks at the end of every sentence? As with most people these days, email is a major communication tool, and as such you are exposed to a myriad different writing styles. Some people see grammar and spelling as more of a suggestion; others have a casual attitude to keeping sentences under 1,000 words. Being a bit of a grammatical pedant I'm always quick to pounce on any mistakes made in emails (pathetic, I know) but the use of exclamation marks at the end of sentences or to imply some kind of unwarranted emotion within the sentence gets completely and utterly on my tits.

http://www.dictionary.com/ defines an exclamation mark as "The sign used in writing after an exclamation" or "sometimes used in writing two or more times in succession to indicate intensity of emotion, loudness, etc.: Long live the Queen!!". Nowhere in this description is it mentioned that it can be used to end a standard sentence. Luckily, language experts have noticed this trend and have recently come up with a new punctuation mark to deal with the lack of sentence ending ability. They've called it a full stop. Maybe it'll catch on.

Now, I don't expect everybody to understand every nuance of grammar. I consider myself a student of the art of correct writing but I know a tiny amount of what is out there. However, I can't understand why anyone would have the impression that an exclamation mark is a suitable sentence ender. You can imagine some of the potential pitfalls in the workplace if you're not sure of its proper use:

- Smith, Albert. Died peacefully after a long battle against cancer! Rest in peace, Granddad!
- Police describe the murderer as white, six feet tall with a shaved head! The public are warned not to approach him as he is extremely dangerous!
- Breaking news - thousands of people have been killed after an airliner slammed into the World Trade Centre!

See? It doesn't exactly convey a professional tone does it? Of course, there are exceptions:

- Leeds United docked fifteen points for financial irregularities!

In conclusion, try and be a bit more creative with your language. If you must insist on being a Grade-A thickie and using exclamation marks at the end of every sentence, at least make each line funny to justify it. Have a nice day!