Which punctuation mark is often used to express strong emotions or urgency?

The exclamation mark is the punctuation mark primarily used to convey strong emotions, enthusiasm, or urgency in writing. It amplifies the impact of a statement, making it clear to the reader that the writer feels strongly about the conveyed sentiment. For example, using an exclamation mark turns a simple statement into one that signifies excitement, surprise, or even anger, depending on the context. This makes it distinctly different from other punctuation marks, which generally serve more straightforward grammatical purposes.

While a comma is used for pauses in a sentence and a question mark indicates a query, these do not carry the emotional weight or urgency that an exclamation mark does. Additionally, a semicolon serves to connect closely related independent clauses, lacking the expressive power that an exclamation mark provides. Thus, the exclamation mark stands out as the clear choice for expressing heightened emotional states or urgent messages in text.