English Grammar Notes on Interjections

What is an interjection?

An interjection is either a single word or a short group of words that are used to express a  feeling or emotion. Interjections can express such feelings as urgency, surprise, relief, joy, or pain. An interjection that expresses strong emotions is often followed by an exclamation mark. An interjection that expresses mild emotion is usually followed by a comma.

Examples of Interjections:

• Let’s go! We can’t sleep until we find the missing boy (urgency).
• Phew! I was afraid we would never find him. (relief)
• Oh, you have grown so big. (surprise)
  
• Well, I have never been so happy. (joy)
• Watch out! (Urgency)
• "All right! Do as you wish," he shouted.
• Ouch! That hurts. (Pain)
• Wow, that's wonderful. (Surprise)
• Oops! I almost spilt it. (Relief)
• Say, do you know about Gidi, the famous comedian from Zanzibar. (Wonderment)
• Oh, having him at the event was such a great idea. (surprise)
• Boy! I hoped to enjoy the experience but it got me so scared. (Fear)

 

Practice Exercise 

Identify the interjections in the following sentences and indicate what feeling or emotion it expresses.

1. Say, have you heard about Nameless and Jua Kali, the famous Kenyan musicians.

 

2.    Wow! Seeing the calf being born was exciting.

 

3.    "All right!" I yelled to him. "This is not right thing to do."not do."

 

4.    Boy! Some people felt wonderful being in the air balloon, but I felt nervous.

 

5. Oh, did that boat rock back and forth for a while.

 

Answers to the  practice exercise

1.    Say –           wonderment

 

2.    Wow! –        joy

 

3.    All right! –   urgency

 

4.    Boy! –         fear

 

5.    Oh –            surprise

 

 

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