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Parts of Speech: Interjections
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Unlike other parts of speech, an interjection isn't grammatically connected to other words in the sentence. It's unique!
Huh? What's an interjection?
An interjection is a short exclamation like "Ooooh!" or "Wow!" or "Huh?" You use it when you want to express emotion or attract attention:
Hey! Watch where you're walking!
No! I won't go!
Ouch! That hurt!
Sometimes, the interjection is a single word like "Hooray!" Other times, it consists of two or more words like "Good heavens!" or "For crying out loud!"
Interjections can express a variety of feelings from anger to joy and everything in between—disappointment, surprise, shock. You name it.
Yippee! It's the weekend!
Boo! Ha ha! I scared you!
Interjections can be found at the beginning or end of a sentence:
Darn! I missed the O-train by a minute.
We missed the children's choir, alas.
Cool! What punctuation should I use with interjections?
Often, you need an exclamation point after an interjection, especially if you're expressing the interjection with strong emotion:
No way! She said that!
Egad! How did you get that bruise?
Hi!
But you can also use a dash:
Hey—watch it!
If you're expressing mild emotion, use a period or a comma:
Hello, David.
Okay. I'll do that.
Oh, that's where you are.
Okay. Anything else I need to know about interjections?
Yes, the fun thing about interjections is that you can invent your own:
Hoky toot! I've never seen anything like it.
Below is a list of some interjections you might find yourself using.
| SITUATION | INTERJECTION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| agreement | okay, right, sure, yeah, yes | Yes, I'll come with you. |
| alarm | egad, hey, oh oh, yikes | Yikes! That's pricey! |
| amazement | cool, gee, gee whiz, golly, goodness, holy cow, sick, wicked, wow | Wow! How did you do that? |
| amusement | ha ha | Ha ha! You can't catch me! |
| apology | oops, oopsies, whoops | Oops! I forgot to tell you to bring your bathing suit. |
| approval | bravo, encore | Bravo! You got an A+. |
| calling attention | ahem, hey, psst | Psst! Can I tell you a secret? |
| comfort | ooh | Ooh! This blanket is so cosy. |
| contentment | mmmm, yum, yummy | Mmmm! Chocolate cake! |
| disagreement | fiddlesticks, no, no way | No! I won't give it back! |
| disbelief, doubt | huh? what? | Huh? She did what? |
| discomfort | brrr | Brrr! It's freezing. |
| dislike | yuck | Yuck! I don't like broccoli. |
| dissatisfaction | humph | Humph! We'll just see about that. |
| enthusiasm | gee, gee whiz, golly, great, super, wonderful | Gee! That's incredible. |
| exasperation | for goodness sake, good grief | Good grief! Your pants are caked in mud! |
| gratitude | thanks | Thanks, you've been a great help. |
| greeting | ahoy, hello, hi | Hello, Michela. Did you have a nice day? |
| grief or pity | alas | Alas! There's no more cake left. |
| hesitation | er, hmm, uh, well | Er, well, I don't know what to say. |
| irritation | dang, darn, drat, rats, shoot | Shoot! I stained my shirt. |
| joy | ah, halleluia, bingo, eureka, hurray, oh, yahoo, yippee | Yippee! We're going on holidays! |
| partings | bye, bye-bye, goodbye, so long | Bye for now! |
| pain | ouch, ow | Ow! You hurt me! |
| relief | phew | Phew! I just made it to class. |
| special occasions | Happy Birthday, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Christmas | Happy Birthday, Ayesha! |
| surprise | dear me, gee whiz, goodness me, holy cow, holy mackerel, holy moly, holy jumpin' | Holy cow! Look at the size of that fish! |
