In lower primary classes ( kinder and year one, for example) some of the more able students just loved to use several exclamation marks, to highlight excitement or fear, as is often exemplified in children's books. We allowed this as at least it meant they understand the use. At the same time we talked about vocabulary that would do the same job.

Gradually the exclamation marks were phased out in modelled writing as students began to realise they could get better effects from the correct use of vocabulary.

Modelled and shared writing doesn't happen often enough in classes, resulting in Brian's style of writing in adulthood.