Interjections are words or phrases used to convey emotions or make requests, but they are not grammatically linked to other sentence elements. Interjections are considered a part of speech and are frequently used in informal writing and daily conversations.
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What are interjections?
In grammar, interjections in English are a part of speech, a lexical category used to show a short, sudden expression of emotion. The origin of the word ‘interjections’ comes from the Latin word ‘interiectionem,’ meaning ‘a throwing or placing between.
The meaning of the word evolved to refer to words inserted into a sentence that did not have any syntactic relation with the other words. Consider the word ‘yay‘ in this sentence:
- ‘Yay! I got my degree!’
As you can see, the interjection ‘yay‘ is not grammatically linked to any other parts of speech. Its sole function is to express an emotion of joy and excitement. Such words were initially labeled primary conjunctions.
Other words that retained their grammatical function (e.g., ‘Jesus,’ ‘my God,’ ‘dear me,’ etc.) were later classified as interjections. These interjections were coined secondary interjections.
The main characteristic of secondary interjections is that they are derived from other parts of speech (e.g., nouns, verbs, etc.).
The following sections provide more details about these two types of interjections
Two Types of Interjections In English
As mentioned before, there are two types of interjections: primary and secondary interjections:
1. Primary interjection
Primary interjections refer to words or sounds that are not derived from other parts of speech (i.e., they do not work as other grammatical categories such as verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.) and do not have other meanings except that they convey emotions or make requests.
Here are some examples:
- “Ouch!” (pain)
- “Wow!” (surprise)
- “Oops!” (mistake)
Example in a sentence:
- “Ouch! That hurt!” (experiencing pain)
2. Secondary interjections
Secondary interjections refer to words that can function as other grammatical categories. That is they are derived from other parts of speech such as verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.
Here are some examples:
- Indeed! (agreement)
- Oh well! (resignation)
- Really? (surprise).
Example in a sentence:
- “Oh no! I forgot my phone at home!” (expressing disappointment)
Three Categories of Interjections In English with Examples
As we have defined them before, interjections are words or phrases used to express strong feelings or sudden emotions, such as surprise, joy, pain, or excitement. They can be categorized according to their meaning and the emotion they express into three categories: volitive, emotive, and cognitive interjections.
- Volitive interjections
- Emotive interjections
- Cognitive interjections
1. Volitive interjections
Volitive interjections are used to make requests or give commands. They function as imperatives or directives. For instance, “Shh!” functions as a command to the addressee to “be quiet!”
Examples:
- “Please!” (polite request)
- “Hurry!” (urgent command)
- “Stop!” (forceful command)
- “Psst!” (call to attract another person’s attention)
Example in a sentence:
- “Hurry, we’ll be late for the train!” (urging someone to move quickly)
2. Emotive interjections
Emotive interjections are words or phrases that express a sudden feeling of anger, surprise, delight, fear, disgust, frustration, etc.
Examples:
- “Bravo” (praise)
- “Oh no” (disappointment)
- “Hooray” (celebration)
- “Holy cow!” (shock)
Example:
- “Yay! I got the job!” (expressing joy and excitement)
3. Cognitive interjections
Cognitive interjections are words that convey thoughts or opinions about a situation or idea. Speakers and writers use them to express surprise, disbelief, shock, agreement, etc.
Examples:
- “Hmm” (uncertainty)
- “Aha” (understanding)
- “Well” (consideration)
Example:
- “Hmm, I’m not sure what the answer is.” (expressing uncertainty or thoughtfulness)
A list of 60 Examples of interjections
Here are the 60 interjections. They are alphabetically arranged:
| List of 60 Interjections in English | ||
|---|---|---|
| aha | dear | hey |
| ahem | drat | hi |
| alas | duh | huh |
| amazing | eek | hurray |
| arg | ew | icky |
| aw | gah | oh |
| bam | geez | oops |
| bingo | golly | ouch |
| boo | goodness | phew |
| bravo | gosh | pish |
| brrr | ha | pow |
| cheerio | hah | shh |
| cheers | hallelujah | tut |
| dang | harrumph | ugh |
| darn | hooray | uh-oh |
| dear me | howdy | voila |
| duh | jeepers | whoa |
| eek | jeez | wow |
| eh | la-di-da | yikes |
| encore | lo and behold | yippee |
NOTE: Note that some interjections can have different spellings or variations (e.g., “aww” or “aw”), and some could be considered informal or slang.
Classifying Interjections
Because of the large number of interjections in English, it would be a good idea to find an easy-to-remember classification. One possible approach is to group them according to the types of emotions or reactions they express. Here”s a table with some examples:
| Type of Interjection | Examples |
|---|---|
| Joy | Hooray! Yippee! Bravo! |
| Surprise | Wow! Oh! Hey! Aha! |
| Pain or discomfort | Ouch! Ow! Ugh! Eek! |
| Regret or disappointment | Alas! Oh no! Darn! |
| Relief or gratitude | Phew! Thank goodness!, Whew! |
| Agreement or affirmation | Yes! Absolutely! Right! |
| Disagreement or negation | No! Never! Nonsense! |
| Confusion or doubt | Huh? Hmm? What? Really? |
| Urgency or warning | Look out! Watch it! Alert! |
| Silence or secrecy | Shh! Hush! Psst! |
NOTE: Note that some interjections can express more than one emotion or meaning, depending on the context and tone of voice. Also, this table is not exhaustive, and other interjections could fit into different categories.
Interjections and punctuation
Interjections are generally followed by an exclamation mark, comma, or question mark.
Examples:
- Wow! What a fantastic performance!
- Oh, I see that you have changed your opinion.
- Eh? What do you mean?
1. If the interjection is a question, use a question mark:
- Eh? What do you mean?
2. Mild interjections are punctuated by commas, whereas exclamation marks are reserved for stronger expressions of emotion:
- Wow! what a fantastic performance!
- Oh, I see that you have changed your opinion
Here are more examples with English interjections:
- Ah! What a delicious meal!
- Aha, now I see what you mean!
- Alas! I love football
- Alas! I have no talent as a player.
- Eh? Say it again – I wasn’t listening.
- Er, is he handsome?
- Er, well, he’s got a nice friendly sort of face though he’s not exactly handsome.
- Hello, Paul. I haven’t seen you for ages.
- Hey, what are you doing with my car?
- Hi, there!
- Hmm, he says he’s doing it for our benefit.
- Hmm, I’m still not convinced.
- Oh! Is that for me? Oh! You’re so kind!
- Well, what shall we do now?
Conclusion
It is important, as an English language learner to understand what interjections are. Learning how to use them effectively can help you write and speak more expressively. You can also enhance your general communication abilities in the English language by studying the types of interjections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s an interjection?
Interjection refers to a word or group of words that express a sudden emotion such as surprise, fear, shock, frustration, etc.
Are interjections parts of speech?
Yes, interjections are considered one of the eight parts of speech, the others being nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions.
What are the two types of interjections?
There are two types of interjections: primary and secondary. Primary interjections include words or sounds that are not derived from any part of speech. This includes examples like psst, wow, aha, etc.
What are the three categories of interjections?
The three categories of interjections are volitive, emotive, and cognitive.
– Volitive interjections express commands or imperatives like hush (meaning, keep quiet), hurry (urging someone to move quickly), etc.
– Emotive interjections express a feeling of shock, fear, surprise, etc. Examples of emotive interjections include “oh no” (expressing disappointment), “yay” (expressing joy and excitement), etc.
– Cognitive interjections express thoughts or opinions. Examples include “Aha” (expressing sudden understanding of something), hmm (expressing uncertainty), etc.
What are some examples of interjections?
Here are some examples:
– Psst! come here. I have a secret to tell you!
– Oh no! Someone stole my purse!
– Oh my God! I’ve made it!
– Hush! Somebody is coming!
How are interjections used?
Interjections are rarely used in academic or formal writing. They are, however, common in fiction or artistic writing.
What mark of punctuation is closely associated with interjections?
Because interjections often express feelings, thoughts, or requests, they are usually punctuated with an exclamation mark. But sometimes they are followed by question marks or commas.
– If the interjection expresses a question, use a question mark (e.g., Eh! Say it again? )
– If the interjection is mild, use a comma (e.g., Hmm, I think he is not the guy we’re looking for.)
– If the interjection is strong, use an exclamation mark. (e.g., Bravo! you’re doing a good job!)
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