Interjection: Definition and Examples

   

      Interjection: Definition and Examples

What are the Structures and Importance of Interjections?

Interjections can come in the form of a single word, a phrase, or even a short clause. Aside from that, they are usually (but not always) placed at the beginning of a sentence. The importance of interjections lies in the fact that they can convey feelings that may sometimes be neglected in the sentence.

Take for example, the sentence “That book is about vampires.”

One person can write it as:

1. That book is about vampires.

2. That book is about vampires.

But then again, another person might use an interjection to show the same feeling of disgust (as in sentence number 2):

3. Eww ! That book is about vampires.

So you see from the sentence above that the word “eww” conveys the emotional response to what is said in the sentence. It can act as a replacement for emoticons and are more appropriate to use in writing, especially in character dialogues.

What are the Different Kinds of Interjections?

Below are the different kinds of interjections:

• Adjectives that are used as interjections.

Examples:

• Nice! You got a Monster Kill in your first game!
• Sweet! I got a Pc for my birthday!
• Good! Now we can move on to the next lesson.

The italicized words in the sample sentences above are just some of the adjectives that can be used as interjections.

• Nouns or noun phrases that are used as interjections.

Examples:

• Congratulations, you won the match.
• Hello! How are you?
• Holy cow! I forgot my keys!

The italicized parts of the sentences above are just some of the nouns that can be used as interjections.

• Short clauses that are used as interjections.

Example:

• Mahi is our chemistry teacher. Oh, the horror!

The short clause that is italicized in the example above functions as an interjection.

• Some interjections are sounds.

Examples:

• Ugh! I’m never doing that again!
• Whew! That was really close!
• Uh-oh! Dude, I think we’re in serious trouble.

How do You Punctuate Interjections?

Since interjections convey different kinds of emotions, there are also different ways to punctuate them.

• Exclamation point

The exclamation point is the most commonly used punctuation mark for interjections. Obviously, it is used to communicate strong emotions such as surprise, excitement, or anger.

Examples:

• I just replaced your sugar with salt!
• Hooray! I got the job!
• Hey! Stop messing with me!
• Ouch! That must’ve hurt really bad!
• Oh! They’re here!
• Boo-yah! This is the bomb!
• Are you still going to eat that? Yuck!
• Yahoo! I got my Christmas bonus!
• Eek! There’s a flying cockroach!

• Period or comma

For weaker emotions, a period or a comma will suffice.

Examples:

• What’s the answer to number 24?
• Meh, who cares?
• Ah, that feels great!
• Oh well, what’s done is done.
• Well, what did your mom say?
• Um… I don’t think so.
• Hmm, your house always smells like freshly brewed coffee.

• Question mark

If you intend to use interjections to express uncertainty or disbelief, it is more appropriate to use a question mark.

Examples:

• Huh? What did you just say?
• What? You still haven’t submitted your project?
• Oh, really? I never thought he’s that kind of guy.

What are Other Examples of Interjections?

• Duh
• Oh
• Oops
• Ha
• Yikes
• Whoa
• Yum
• Eh
• Wow
• Yo
• Yippee
• Alas
• Dear
• Oh
• Uh-huh
• Phew
• Indeed
• Cool
• Wicked

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