What Is an Interjection?
What is an interjection? An interjection is a word we use to express emotions. For example, “Wow!” shows surprise. They add feelings of shock or excitement to our sentences.
4 Key Points of Interjections
Let’s break down the 4 key points of interjections:
- Express Emotions or Surprise: Interjections are like the emojis of language. They help express feelings or reactions, such as joy, surprise, or disappointment. Just like how a smiley can brighten a message, words like “Yay!” or “Oops!” add emotion to our words.
- Can Stand Alone or Within Sentences: You can find interjections on their own or even within sentences. Consider the sentence, “Wow, that’s amazing!” “Wow” is the interjection that adds excitement. Meanwhile, “Ouch!” by itself is just as powerful. They’re versatile that way.
- Punctuated with Exclamation Points: Often, you’ll see interjections followed by exclamation points. This highlights their emotional punch. For instance, “Aha!” shows a sudden realization of knowing something. Whereas saying, “I understand.” doesn’t have the same feeling of emotion.
- Not Grammatically Related to Sentences: Interjections are the free spirits of grammar. They don’t need to connect to the other words in a sentence to make sense. So, while “Alas, I lost my keys” makes sense, “Alas” stands apart. It shares the speaker’s sorrow without affecting the grammar.
No matter what, there are always exceptions to the rule. But these 4 key points are good indicators that you’re working with an interjection.
Examples of Interjections
There are lots of examples of interjections. Here are some of the other common ones that show a mix of different emotions.
Let’s go through a couple of examples using interjections to check your understanding.
“Yay! We won the game.”
“Yay!” is the interjection in this sentence. It’s a sudden burst of joy celebrating a victory. This interjection stands alone and is punctuated with an exclamation point. But it’s closely related to the excitement of winning the game.
“Cheers! You did very well.”
The interjection in this sentence is “Cheers!”. We use it to congratulate someone, almost like raising a glass in celebration. The interjection stands on its own but sets a supportive tone for the sentence that follows.
“Eureka!” is an interjection. Archimedes used it when he discovered how to measure the volume of an object by submerging it in water.
Why Use Interjections?
Even though interjections might seem like small talk, they add a lot to sentences. Remember that language isn’t just about rules and structure. It’s also about expressing our human experiences. That’s why we use interjections in English.
Do you have a favorite interjection you find yourself using? We’d love to hear from you. Join us in the comment section below and let us know any questions you might have.