Interjections

 An interjection is a word or phrase that shows a sudden feeling or emotion, like happiness, surprise, anger, or sadness. These are usually short expressions and often end with an exclamation mark (!). Interjections stand alone in a sentence and are used just to express what someone feels in that moment.

Examples:

• Oh! what a beautiful house!
• Hurray! We won the final match.
• Ouch! That hurt too badly.

Types of Interjection

Interjections can be divided into various types, which are explained below.           1. Primary Interjection

Primary interjections are words that belong only to interjections and are not used as any other part of speech. They are used to express feelings or reactions in a sentence.

Examples:

• Wow! You had time to join us.
• Alas! I couldn’t be there on time.

2. Secondary Interjection

Words that normally belong to other parts of speech, such as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, but are sometimes used as interjections are called secondary interjections.

Examples:

• Great! We won the match.
• Goodness! How did you go through all these 5 books in a day?

3. Mild Interjection

The words which are used for expressing mild feelings and emotions are usually called Mild Interjections. These words are typically separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Examples:

• Oh, He was looking for you.
• Well, it was so easy.

4. Strong Interjection

The words which are used for strong outbursts of expression are determined as Strong Interjections. Such types are typically separated from the rest of the sentence by exclamation marks.

Examples:

• Yay! I finally passed.
• Bingo! Found it.

Rules of Interjections 

There are no strict rules for using interjections. However, they are most often placed at the beginning of a sentence and are commonly used to form exclamatory expressions. Some general points to remember are given below:

Rule 1:

An interjection can appear before or after a statement to show a reaction to what is happening.

Example:

• Wow! That is an incredible scene.
• What? That's something you never told me!

Rule 2:

Some interjections are used to express agreement or disagreement (yes or no).

Example:

• Yes! I'm sure I'll pull it off.
• No way are we going

Rule 3:

Some interjections are used to pause, break a thought, or gain someone’s attention in conversation.

Example: 

• On the back of your shirt, um there's a stain.
• The date went meh.

List of Most Commonly Used Interjections

There are some most commonly used Interjections with examples are:

Interjections	Examples
Ugh	Ugh! I can not believe how moldy the fridge is.
Wow	Wow, nice work! I am impressed.
Nice	A lazy morning on a Sunday, nice!
Woohoo	Woohoo! I won the match.
Cool	Cool! I did not know you could open a beer with your teeth.
Win	Those shoes were only 500 rupees? Win!
Huh	Huh! I did not know your mummy was a pilot, that is interesting.
So	So…what did you want to speak to me about?
Ouch	Ouch! I am not sure you should have been so honest.
Yup	Yup, we can have that fixed for you in about an hour.
Oh my	Oh my! Did you see how much that man looked like his dog?
Sweet	Sweet! I shall meet you at the park tomorrow at two.
Awesome	Awesome! We can sit next to each other on the plane!
Hmm	Hmm, I am not sure! I think I will be able to finish that by Friday.
Yeah	Yeah! We should try that!
Uh oh	Uh oh, The shower is broken again.
Oh man oh	Oh man, I spilled ice cream on my favourite coat
Ew	Ew! You are going to eat that after it is been on the floor?
Ahh	Ahh, I get it now. I thought you meant something else.
Sure	Sure, You can book the tickets tonight if I want.
Hey	Hey! How are you doing? We have not spoken in a while.
Um	Um — I think we need to come up with a new plan.
Ha	Ha, no it was not like that.
Oh dear oh	Oh dear, I think I should go to bed a bit earlier tonight.
Yikes	Yikes! That is a bit intense for a first date, isn’t it?
Oops	Oops, I think I called that guy by the wrong name.
Like	I am not sure. Like, maybe five or seven times?
Jeez	He has already rung me three times today! Jeez!
Ahem	Ahem! I am still waiting!

Interjections vs Conjunctions

The table below shows the main differences between interjections and conjunctions.

Interjection	Conjunction
Interjections are expressions that show sudden emotion.	Conjunctions are words that connect two words or two phrases.
Do not have a grammatical function at all.	The grammatical function of joining two phrases or words together.
Can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentences.	Should be placed considering the meaning of the sentences.
Used mainly in informal writing.	Used in both formal and informal writing.

Solved Questions and Answers

Direction: Fill in the blanks with a suitable interjection in the following sentences.

1.  ______, that is new!
2. ______ That hurt me more than I thought it would.
3. ______ He got the tickets to the movie premier night.
4. ______ I do not want to do it this way.
5. ______ You did a really big job with that piece of furniture.
6. ______ now I understand what he was trying to say.
7. ______ That should have upset you.
8. ______ He has not cleared the internal assessment.
9. ______ That was a really brave thing to do.
10.  _______ The waiting list for the reserved seats is too long; I do not think he would get a seat

Answers:

1. Well, that is new!
2. Ouch! That hurt me more than I thought it would.
3. Yippee! He got the tickets to the movie premier night.
4. Uh, I do not want to do it this way.
5. Wow! You did a really big job with that piece of furniture.
6. Ah, now I understand what he was trying to say.
7. Oh no! That should have upset you.
8. Alas! He has not cleared the internal assessment.
9. Bravo! That was a really brave thing to do.
10. My God! The waiting list for the reserved seats is too long; I don’t think we would get a seat