The correct sentence, which demonstrates proper punctuation placement, is 'The patient winced and exclaimed, “That felt like more than just a pinch!”' where the exclamation point is suitably placed within the quotation marks.
The correct placement of punctuation in the sentence provided is: The patient winced and exclaimed, “That felt like more than just a pinch!” This sentence correctly places the exclamation point at the end of the exclaimed phrase within the quotation marks, which is used to indicate strong emotion or emphasis. Moreover, the comma after “exclaimed” correctly separates the reporting clause from the direct speech, in line with standard English punctuation rules.
As demonstrated in examples, an exclamation point is used to end an emphatic or emotional sentence such as “What a mess!” she blurted out.” or “Stop! That hurts!” he shouted.” This punctuation helps convey the intensity of the speaker's feelings, which is crucial to properly conveying the message within the text.