Introduction
Interjections are words or short phrases that express sudden emotion, reaction, or feeling. They are grammatically independent - they do not connect to the rest of the sentence and can stand alone. They are most common in spoken English and informal writing.
| Interjection | Emotion / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Oh! | surprise, realisation | Oh! I didn't see you there. |
| Wow! | admiration, amazement | Wow! That's incredible. |
| Ouch! | pain | Ouch! That hurt. |
| Ah! | realisation, relief, pleasure | Ah! Now I understand. |
| Hmm | thinking, uncertainty | Hmm, I'm not sure about that. |
| Ugh! | disgust, frustration | Ugh! This traffic is terrible. |
| Phew! | relief | Phew! That was close. |
| Hey! | greeting, getting attention | Hey! Over here! |
| Oops! | mild mistake | Oops! I dropped it. |
| Yikes! | alarm, shock | Yikes! That's scary. |
Mild vs Strong Interjections
Interjections range from very mild (barely emotional) to very strong (highly expressive). The punctuation reflects the intensity.
| Strength | Punctuation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | Comma or full stop after the interjection | Oh, I see. / Well, that's interesting. |
| Moderate | Exclamation mark on the interjection only | Oh! That's surprising. / Oops! I dropped it. |
| Strong | Exclamation marks on the interjection and the sentence | Wow! I can't believe it! / Ouch! That really hurt! |
Discourse Markers and Fillers
These words are often grouped with interjections, but most are strictly discourse markers: rather than expressing emotion, they organise the conversation - pausing, checking, changing topic or softening.
| Word | Use |
|---|---|
| Well | Pause, thinking, introducing a point: Well, I think that... |
| Right | Checking understanding or agreement: Right, so we're agreed? |
| OK / Okay | Agreement, acknowledgement, transition: OK, let's start. |
| So | Transition or introducing a consequence: So, what do you think? |
| Now | Drawing attention to next point: Now, there's one more thing. |
| Look | Emphatic attention-getting: Look, I'll be honest with you. |
| Erm / Um | Hesitation filler (erm is more common in British English, um in American English; both are used everywhere) |
Practice
Which interjection expresses pain?
Which punctuation typically follows a mild interjection?
Which discourse marker is used to check understanding or agreement?
Which interjection expresses admiration or amazement?
Which interjection expresses relief?
Which interjection expresses a mild mistake?
Which interjection expresses thinking or uncertainty?
'Wow! I can't believe it!' What strength of interjection is this?
'Oh, I see.' What strength of interjection is this?
Overusing which punctuation mark weakens its effect?
Which interjection is used for greeting or getting attention?
Which word functions as a pause or thinking filler?
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