The Interjection

Interjection is that part of speech in English Grammar that is used to express or utter an element of surprise, horror or a sudden feeling or an extreme reaction.

· It consists within its blanket a horde of exclamations ranging from compliment (Wow) to pain (Ouch) to curse (damn) to greeting (Hey, Bye) to response interludes (Okay, huh, meh), hesitation (Uh, umm, err) and other words expressing sudden and intense reactions like (stop, cool).

· Custodians of Grammar consider Interjections to be the least important part of grammar since interjections are not usually required for a sentence to make sense.

· They simply help express the speaker’s feeling while uttering a sentence. They are not brought so much in formal and academic use but are more often found in casual writings related to fiction.

· They are often found offset by an exclamation point (which is also used to show emotion) but not compulsorily.

· Interjections can be found at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence and sometimes they independently exist as sentences on their own right.

Examples:

· Oops! I made the same mistake again.(beginning)

· In my opinion, my gosh, this is the most bizarre thing I have heard. (middle)- the emphasis here is on the speaker’s opinion , not so much on the surprise element, hence exclamation mark has not been used.

· So, you have been drinking again, huh? (end) – Since huh, does not express an element of surprise, as much as disappointment and disdain, the exclamation mark  has been done away with and replaced by a more conventional question mark.

Interjections may also, at times be used as standalone sentences,independently:

Example:

· Oh shucks! I am again going to be late.

(Oh shucks! is an independent sentence without a subject or a verb but it is enough to express the feeling of the author)

Types of Interjections

In English Grammar, there are as many Interjections as range of human moods, feeling and attitudes. There is an interjection coined every hour to reflect the many swinging shades of human feelings, some which express the milder ones, some for the moderately lukewarm ones and many for the intense, raging ones.

There are Interjection to express love, hate, surprise, happiness, anger, enthusiasm, disgust, boredom, confusion, happiness, horror, disappointment, disgruntlement, disdain, disgust and so on.

For Example:

Excuse Me, Oops, Ouch, Ah, Oh, Aha, Boo, Eew, Gosh, Goodness, My Goodness, Ha, Oh, Rats, Shoot, Uh-oh, Oh-ho, Yikes, Yuck, Yup etc.

Uses of Interjections

Interjections find no place in Formal and Academic or Scientific writings. Such writings are objective in nature and devoid of emotions and feelings. They are fact and logic based and interjections have no remote connection with these from of writings.

However, Interjections figure predominantly in fictional writings, especially in terms of dialogue and script writing. They are extremely handy in expression human emotions on paper using minimum words.In such cases they lend brevity, crispness and tightness to the script, at the same time rendering them effective and emotive.

English Grammar and Composition

From The Interjection to HOME PAGE