WelcomeCoursesAI

English

Interjections

AskQuestions
Interjections are words or short phrases that express strong emotions or sudden reactions. They are not grammatically connected to other parts of a sentence, which means they can stand alone or be inserted into sentences. Interjections help convey feelings quickly and can make language more vivid and expressive.

Common Types

Interjections can be categorized based on the feelings or reactions they express:

Surprise or Shock

  • Wow! That’s amazing.
  • Oh! I didn’t see you there.
  • Ah! Now I understand.

Pain or Discomfort

  • Ouch! That hurts.
  • Ow! Be careful.
  • Ugh! This tastes awful.

Happiness or Excitement

  • Yay! We won the game.
  • Hooray! Party time.
  • Yippee! I got the job.

Sadness or Disappointment

  • Alas! It’s too late.
  • Oh no! I forgot my keys.
  • Sigh. Another rainy day.

Thinking or Hesitation

  • Hmm… I’m not sure.
  • Uh… Can I ask a question?
  • Er… I don’t know.

Greeting or Attention

  • Hey! Over here.
  • Hi! How are you?
  • Yo! What’s up?

Usage Rules

While interjections are flexible, there are some guidelines to keep in mind:

Standalone or Sentence-Initial

  • Interjections can stand alone:
    • Wow! That’s incredible.
  • Or appear at the beginning of a sentence:
    • Oh, I didn’t realize.

Punctuation

  • Use an exclamation point (!) for strong emotion:
    • Ouch! That hurts.
  • A comma is used for milder expression:
    • Oh, I see.

Capitalization

Interjections start with a capital letter when they begin a sentence or stand alone:
  • Yay! We’re going out.
Inside sentences, they usually follow normal capitalization rules:
  • She said, “oh, that’s nice.”

Informal Tone

Interjections are more common in spoken language, casual writing, and dialogue. They are less frequent in formal writing.

Examples

Here are some more interjections in context:
Surprise:
  • Wow! What a beautiful sunset.
  • Oh! I forgot my wallet.
Pain:
  • Ouch! I stubbed my toe.
  • Ow! That’s hot.
Happiness:
  • Yay! We’re going to the beach.
  • Hooray! Exams are over.
Sadness:
  • Alas! Our team lost.
  • Oh no! The cake burned.
Thinking:
  • Hmm… Maybe I’ll try again.
  • Uh… Can you repeat that?

Tips for Learners

  • Pay attention to interjections in conversations and movies—they show real emotions.
  • Practice using interjections to sound more natural and expressive.
  • Don't overuse them; they are most effective in small doses.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

Loco