PARTS OF SPEECH : INTERJECTIONS

Definition

An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses a sudden, strong emotion or feeling. It is often a brief and abrupt pause in speech and is not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence.

10 Sentence Examples:

  1. Wow! That is an incredible view.
  2. Ouch! I just hit my thumb with the hammer.
  3. Alas! Our team lost the final match.
  4. Hey! Be careful with that vase.
  5. Well, I think we should start now.
  6. Oh no! I think I forgot my wallet.
  7. Hurray! We have a holiday tomorrow.
  8. Shh, the baby is sleeping.
  9. Bravo! You performed wonderfully.
  10. Oops! I spilled the coffee.

Types of Interjections

Interjections for Greeting

Used to express warmth and greeting when meeting someone.

  1. Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you.
  2. Hi! How have you been?
  3. Hey! Nice to see you here.
  4. Yo! What's up?
  5. Greetings! Welcome to our annual conference.
  6. Hi there! I'm your new neighbor.
  7. Hey! Long time no see.
  8. Hello! Is anyone home?
  9. Hi! My name is Pooja.
  10. Hey! Get over here!

Interjections for Joy

Used to express immediate happiness and celebration.

  1. Hurray! We successfully won the match.
  2. Wow! You are looking gorgeous.
  3. Hooray! I got the promotion!
  4. Yippee! It's snowing!
  5. Woo-hoo! I passed my driving test.
  6. Yay! The weekend is finally here.
  7. Awesome! This is the best gift ever.
  8. Fantastic! I knew you could do it.
  9. Wow! I can't believe we're actually in Paris.
  10. Hooray! School is out for the summer.

Interjections for Approval

Used to express a strong sense of agreement or praise.

  1. Bravo! The first rank is yours this year.
  2. Well done! You finished the race.
  3. Brilliant! That's a fantastic idea.
  4. Excellent! Your presentation was flawless.
  5. Splendid! This is exactly what I wanted.
  6. Perfect! You've captured the essence of the character.
  7. Well done! I knew you would succeed.
  8. Bravo! That was a magnificent performance.
  9. Superb! Your work is truly outstanding.
  10. Indeed! That's a very logical conclusion.

Interjections for Attention

Used to draw someone's attention to something.

  1. Listen! I have never copied you.
  2. Look! There's a rainbow in the sky.
  3. Behold! The king has arrived.
  4. Hush! The ceremony is about to begin.
  5. Psst! Come over here for a second.
  6. Look! You are being so arrogant.
  7. Listen! You need to focus on this part.
  8. Shh! Don't make a sound.
  9. Hey! Watch where you're going!
  10. Behold! Someone strange is there.

Interjections for Surprise

Used to express a strong sense of surprise.

  1. What! You failed the exam?
  2. Oh! I didn't see you there.
  3. Ah! I got a new job.
  4. Hey! What are you doing in my room?
  5. Gosh! You scared me.
  6. Eh! I didn't know that was a rule.
  7. What! The flight has been canceled?
  8. Oh my God! I can't believe we won the lottery.
  9. Wow! I never expected to see you here.
  10. Good heavens! Is that really the time?

Interjections for Sorrow

Used to express sadness, pain, or grief about something unfortunate.

  1. Alas! He is no more.
  2. Ouch! That's very painful.
  3. Oh! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
  4. Ah! The pain is unbearable.
  5. Darn! I missed the bus again.
  6. Alas! The beautiful old building was torn down.
  7. Ouch! I just stepped on a nail.
  8. Oops! I made a terrible mistake.
  9. Oh dear! I think I've broken it.
  10. Heigh-ho! I suppose I'll have to do it all over again.

Volitive vs. Emotive Interjections (Additional Category)

Volitive Interjections: These are used to give a command or make a request (e.g., commanding silence).
Emotive Interjections: These are used to express an emotion (e.g., expressing disgust).

  1. Shh! Please be quiet. (Volitive)
  2. Yuck! This tastes awful. (Emotive)
  3. Ahem! May I have your attention? (Volitive)
  4. Phew! I'm so glad that's over. (Emotive)
  5. Stop! You're going the wrong way. (Volitive)
  6. Ew! There's a spider in the bathtub. (Emotive)
  7. Psst! Get over here. (Volitive)
  8. Gosh! That was a close call. (Emotive)
  9. Hush! The baby is asleep. (Volitive)
  10. Ugh! I have so much homework to do. (Emotive)

How to Identify Interjections: 8 Techniques

1. Meaning-Based Technique (Emotion/Reaction Test)

Easy Explanation: Interjections are words or phrases that express a sudden burst of feeling, emotion, or reaction. Think of them as spoken exclamations of surprise (*Wow!*), pain (*Ouch!*), or joy (*Hooray!*).

  1. Wow! That is a beautiful car. (Surprise/Admiration)
  2. Ouch! I just stubbed my toe. (Pain)
  3. Hooray! We won the game! (Joy)
  4. Oh no! I forgot my keys. (Dismay)
  5. Yuck! This food tastes awful. (Disgust)
  6. Phew! I'm glad that exam is over. (Relief)
  7. Alas! The hero did not survive. (Sorrow)
  8. Bravo! What a performance! (Approval)
  9. Aha! So that's the answer. (Discovery)
  10. Gosh! I didn't expect that. (Surprise)

2. Independence Test

Easy Explanation: Interjections are grammatically independent. You can remove them from a sentence, and the main sentence will still be grammatically complete.

  1. Well, I guess we should go now. (Sentence remains: I guess we should go now.)
  2. Oops! I made a mistake. (Sentence remains: I made a mistake.)
  3. Hey, what are you doing here? (Sentence remains: What are you doing here?)
  4. Indeed, that is a very good point. (Sentence remains: That is a very good point.)
  5. Ah, that feels much better.
  6. Look, you need to understand this.
  7. Yes, I will be there on time.
  8. Oh, I completely forgot about that.
  9. Gee, I wish I had known that earlier.
  10. Anyway, let's move on to the next topic.

3. Punctuation Test

Easy Explanation: A key clue is punctuation. Interjections are often set apart from the rest of the sentence by an **exclamation mark (!)** for strong emotions or a **comma (,)** for milder ones.

  1. Help!** I'm stuck!
  2. Shh,** the movie is about to start.
  3. Bravo!** That was an amazing performance.
  4. Hmm,** I'm not sure what to do.
  5. Yikes!** That was a close call!
  6. Oh dear,** I think we are lost.
  7. Stop!** You are under arrest.
  8. Well,** let me think about it.
  9. Hooray!** We did it!
  10. Alas,** he failed the test.

4. Position Test

Easy Explanation: Interjections usually appear at the **beginning** of a sentence, but they can be inserted in the middle or at the end to show a reaction or interruption.

  1. Beginning: Ew! There's a bug in my salad.
  2. Beginning: Hello! Is anyone home?
  3. Middle: So I went to the store and, uh oh, I realized I had no money.
  4. Middle: He is, gosh, so incredibly talented.
  5. End: So that's the end of the story, huh?
  6. Beginning: Man! I'm tired.
  7. Middle: This is, I believe, the correct answer.
  8. End: He finally arrived, thank goodness!
  9. Beginning: Seriously? You're going to wear that?
  10. Middle: It was a long and, frankly, boring movie.

5. Substitution Test

Easy Explanation: An interjection often acts as a shortcut for a full sentence that expresses a feeling. You can think of the interjection as a substitute for that longer expression.

  1. Phew!** (Substitutes for: "I am so relieved that is over.")
  2. Aha!** (Substitutes for: "I have just discovered the answer!")
  3. Oops!** (Substitutes for: "I have just made a small mistake.")
  4. Congrats!** (Substitutes for: "I am happy for your success.")
  5. Darn!** (Substitutes for: "I am annoyed that I failed.")
  6. Thanks!** (Substitutes for: "I am grateful to you.")
  7. Cheers!** (Substitutes for: "I wish you good health and happiness.")
  8. Yikes!** (Substitutes for: "That was a frightening moment!")
  9. Hello!** (Substitutes for: "I am greeting you.")
  10. Goodbye!** (Substitutes for: "I am taking my leave now.")

6. Non-Inflection Test

Easy Explanation: Interjections are fixed words. They do not change their form for tense, number, or any other grammatical reason. *Wow* is always *Wow*; it never becomes *wows* or *wowed*.

  1. Wow!** He said, "**Wow!**" again. ('Wow' does not change)
  2. Ouch!** That hurt.
  3. Alas,** it was too late.
  4. Gee,** I never thought of that.
  5. Psst!** Come over here.
  6. Bravo!** (Never 'bravos')
  7. Hello!** (Never 'helloed')
  8. Indeed.** (Never 'indeeds')
  9. Oops.** (Never 'oopsed')
  10. Shh.** (Never 'shhs' or 'shhed')

7. Interruption Test

Easy Explanation: Interjections are natural "interrupters." They can be inserted into speech to show a pause, hesitation, or a sudden thought that interrupts the flow of the main sentence.

  1. I need to go to the... um... the post office. (Hesitation)
  2. She said that she would, er, call us back later. (Uncertainty)
  3. He's a very good, well, an excellent player. (Self-correction)
  4. I think we should turn left here, or wait, maybe right? (Sudden thought)
  5. This is, I suppose, the best we can do. (Consideration)
  6. We need to add, let's see, two cups of flour.
  7. The project is, like, almost finished.
  8. He was, you know, not very happy about it.
  9. I'll have the, uh, chicken sandwich.
  10. It was a very... how should I put it... unusual situation.

8. Extra Technique: The "Immediate Reaction" Test

Easy Explanation: Ask: **"What word or sound expresses the speaker's immediate, unfiltered reaction to this situation?"** The answer is the interjection.

  1. Situation: You accidentally spill coffee. → **Reaction:** "Oops!"
  2. Situation: You see a magic trick. → **Reaction:** "Wow!"
  3. Situation: Someone is being too loud. → **Reaction:** "Shh!"
  4. Situation: You solve a difficult puzzle. → **Reaction:** "Aha!" or "Eureka!"
  5. Situation: You feel a sudden sharp pain. → **Reaction:** "Ouch!"
  6. Situation: A friend gives you good news. → **Reaction:** "Great!" or "Hooray!"
  7. Situation: You hear something disgusting. → **Reaction:** "Yuck!" or "Ew!"
  8. Situation: You are very relieved. → **Reaction:** "Phew!"
  9. Situation: You need to get someone's attention secretly. → **Reaction:** "Psst!"
  10. Situation: You hear very sad news. → **Reaction:** "Alas!"