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:
- Wow! That is an incredible view.
- Ouch! I just hit my thumb with the hammer.
- Alas! Our team lost the final match.
- Hey! Be careful with that vase.
- Well, I think we should start now.
- Oh no! I think I forgot my wallet.
- Hurray! We have a holiday tomorrow.
- Shh, the baby is sleeping.
- Bravo! You performed wonderfully.
- Oops! I spilled the coffee.
Types of Interjections
Interjections for Greeting
Used to express warmth and greeting when meeting someone.
- Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Hi! How have you been?
- Hey! Nice to see you here.
- Yo! What's up?
- Greetings! Welcome to our annual conference.
- Hi there! I'm your new neighbor.
- Hey! Long time no see.
- Hello! Is anyone home?
- Hi! My name is Pooja.
- Hey! Get over here!
Interjections for Joy
Used to express immediate happiness and celebration.
- Hurray! We successfully won the match.
- Wow! You are looking gorgeous.
- Hooray! I got the promotion!
- Yippee! It's snowing!
- Woo-hoo! I passed my driving test.
- Yay! The weekend is finally here.
- Awesome! This is the best gift ever.
- Fantastic! I knew you could do it.
- Wow! I can't believe we're actually in Paris.
- Hooray! School is out for the summer.
Interjections for Approval
Used to express a strong sense of agreement or praise.
- Bravo! The first rank is yours this year.
- Well done! You finished the race.
- Brilliant! That's a fantastic idea.
- Excellent! Your presentation was flawless.
- Splendid! This is exactly what I wanted.
- Perfect! You've captured the essence of the character.
- Well done! I knew you would succeed.
- Bravo! That was a magnificent performance.
- Superb! Your work is truly outstanding.
- Indeed! That's a very logical conclusion.
Interjections for Attention
Used to draw someone's attention to something.
- Listen! I have never copied you.
- Look! There's a rainbow in the sky.
- Behold! The king has arrived.
- Hush! The ceremony is about to begin.
- Psst! Come over here for a second.
- Look! You are being so arrogant.
- Listen! You need to focus on this part.
- Shh! Don't make a sound.
- Hey! Watch where you're going!
- Behold! Someone strange is there.
Interjections for Surprise
Used to express a strong sense of surprise.
- What! You failed the exam?
- Oh! I didn't see you there.
- Ah! I got a new job.
- Hey! What are you doing in my room?
- Gosh! You scared me.
- Eh! I didn't know that was a rule.
- What! The flight has been canceled?
- Oh my God! I can't believe we won the lottery.
- Wow! I never expected to see you here.
- Good heavens! Is that really the time?
Interjections for Sorrow
Used to express sadness, pain, or grief about something unfortunate.
- Alas! He is no more.
- Ouch! That's very painful.
- Oh! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
- Ah! The pain is unbearable.
- Darn! I missed the bus again.
- Alas! The beautiful old building was torn down.
- Ouch! I just stepped on a nail.
- Oops! I made a terrible mistake.
- Oh dear! I think I've broken it.
- 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).
- Shh! Please be quiet. (Volitive)
- Yuck! This tastes awful. (Emotive)
- Ahem! May I have your attention? (Volitive)
- Phew! I'm so glad that's over. (Emotive)
- Stop! You're going the wrong way. (Volitive)
- Ew! There's a spider in the bathtub. (Emotive)
- Psst! Get over here. (Volitive)
- Gosh! That was a close call. (Emotive)
- Hush! The baby is asleep. (Volitive)
- 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!*).
- Wow! That is a beautiful car. (Surprise/Admiration)
- Ouch! I just stubbed my toe. (Pain)
- Hooray! We won the game! (Joy)
- Oh no! I forgot my keys. (Dismay)
- Yuck! This food tastes awful. (Disgust)
- Phew! I'm glad that exam is over. (Relief)
- Alas! The hero did not survive. (Sorrow)
- Bravo! What a performance! (Approval)
- Aha! So that's the answer. (Discovery)
- 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.
- Well, I guess we should go now. (Sentence remains: I guess we should go now.)
- Oops! I made a mistake. (Sentence remains: I made a mistake.)
- Hey, what are you doing here? (Sentence remains: What are you doing here?)
- Indeed, that is a very good point. (Sentence remains: That is a very good point.)
- Ah, that feels much better.
- Look, you need to understand this.
- Yes, I will be there on time.
- Oh, I completely forgot about that.
- Gee, I wish I had known that earlier.
- 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.
- Help!** I'm stuck!
- Shh,** the movie is about to start.
- Bravo!** That was an amazing performance.
- Hmm,** I'm not sure what to do.
- Yikes!** That was a close call!
- Oh dear,** I think we are lost.
- Stop!** You are under arrest.
- Well,** let me think about it.
- Hooray!** We did it!
- 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.
- Beginning: Ew! There's a bug in my salad.
- Beginning: Hello! Is anyone home?
- Middle: So I went to the store and, uh oh, I realized I had no money.
- Middle: He is, gosh, so incredibly talented.
- End: So that's the end of the story, huh?
- Beginning: Man! I'm tired.
- Middle: This is, I believe, the correct answer.
- End: He finally arrived, thank goodness!
- Beginning: Seriously? You're going to wear that?
- 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.
- Phew!** (Substitutes for: "I am so relieved that is over.")
- Aha!** (Substitutes for: "I have just discovered the answer!")
- Oops!** (Substitutes for: "I have just made a small mistake.")
- Congrats!** (Substitutes for: "I am happy for your success.")
- Darn!** (Substitutes for: "I am annoyed that I failed.")
- Thanks!** (Substitutes for: "I am grateful to you.")
- Cheers!** (Substitutes for: "I wish you good health and happiness.")
- Yikes!** (Substitutes for: "That was a frightening moment!")
- Hello!** (Substitutes for: "I am greeting you.")
- 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*.
- Wow!** He said, "**Wow!**" again. ('Wow' does not change)
- Ouch!** That hurt.
- Alas,** it was too late.
- Gee,** I never thought of that.
- Psst!** Come over here.
- Bravo!** (Never 'bravos')
- Hello!** (Never 'helloed')
- Indeed.** (Never 'indeeds')
- Oops.** (Never 'oopsed')
- 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.
- I need to go to the... um... the post office. (Hesitation)
- She said that she would, er, call us back later. (Uncertainty)
- He's a very good, well, an excellent player. (Self-correction)
- I think we should turn left here, or wait, maybe right? (Sudden thought)
- This is, I suppose, the best we can do. (Consideration)
- We need to add, let's see, two cups of flour.
- The project is, like, almost finished.
- He was, you know, not very happy about it.
- I'll have the, uh, chicken sandwich.
- 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.
- Situation: You accidentally spill coffee. → **Reaction:** "Oops!"
- Situation: You see a magic trick. → **Reaction:** "Wow!"
- Situation: Someone is being too loud. → **Reaction:** "Shh!"
- Situation: You solve a difficult puzzle. → **Reaction:** "Aha!" or "Eureka!"
- Situation: You feel a sudden sharp pain. → **Reaction:** "Ouch!"
- Situation: A friend gives you good news. → **Reaction:** "Great!" or "Hooray!"
- Situation: You hear something disgusting. → **Reaction:** "Yuck!" or "Ew!"
- Situation: You are very relieved. → **Reaction:** "Phew!"
- Situation: You need to get someone's attention secretly. → **Reaction:** "Psst!"
- Situation: You hear very sad news. → **Reaction:** "Alas!"