INTERJECTIONS: What is an interjection?

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INTERJECTIONS: What is an interjection?

An interjection is a part of speech that conveys emotions such as excitement, dismay, surprise, enthusiasm, and more. It can be a single word or phrase that usually comes at the beginning of a sentence. Interjections do not generally have a grammatical value or connection to the sentence.

Hey! Look at me!
Oh, that doesn’t sound good.
Well, should I stay?

Primary Interjections

Primary interjections are individual words or sounds that do not have any other meanings or uses but only as interjections. Check out the list below.

Common Primary Interjections
Aah (expresses fear)	Oh (means I see or I think)
Ahh (implies acceptance or realization)	Oops (indicates that a mistake happened)
Eww (something is disgusting)	Ouch (expresses pain)
Hey (call someone’s attention)	Whew (expresses relief)
Hmph (something is displeasing)	Yay/Yipee/Hurrah (an exclamation of celebration or victory)
Hmm (thinking about something)	Uh/Um (indicates a pause)

Examples:

Whew! We finally reached the peak of Mount Kinabalu.
Aah! Get that crawling insect away from me!
Eww! I can’t stand seeing all that blood from his injury.
Oh, we thought you already left the airport.
Hmm, I’m not sure of the outcome yet.
Oops, I spilled all the milk.

Secondary Interjections

Besides the primary type, secondary interjections also exist. These are words or phrases that are originally derived from other words belonging to other parts of speech.

Awesome! We’ve never seen that stunt before.
Oh my goodness, these are the best cookies ever!

In the first example above, the word “awesome’ is originally used as an adjective. As with the second example, the words used in “oh my goodness” are also derived from other grammatical functions.

Other secondary interjections include:

Thank God!
Oh dear!
Oh boy!
Heavens!
Help!
Oh my God!
My goodness!
Well done!
Cool!
No way!
Sweet!

Punctuation and Use

The intensity of a remark or emotion is key in choosing appropriate punctuations for interjections. For mild intensity, use a comma and a full stop. To express stronger emotions, use an exclamation mark.

Well, it’s already too late. Try again next time.
Gosh! It’s already too late! I won’t have any other chance to win.

Aside from punctuation, it is necessary to know when to use interjections. Generally, these are used in speaking, but not much in writing. It is best to avoid using an interjection in formal writing, especially in business.

Key Points

An interjection is a part of speech that conveys emotions such as excitement, dismay, surprise, enthusiasm, and more. It does not generally have a grammatical value to the sentence.
Primary interjections are individual words or sounds that do not have any other meanings. They are only used as interjections.
Secondary interjections are words or phrases that are originally derived from other words belonging to other parts of speech.
For mild remarks, use a comma and a full stop. For stronger emotions, use an exclamation mark.
In writing, avoid using an interjection, especially in a formal or business setting.