Interjections

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Ouch! Oh my! Wow! Yikes!

If you’ve ever uttered any of the words above, you’ve used an

interjection, whether you knew it at the time or not. The word
interjection comes from the Latin words inter (between)
and jacĕre (to throw). So, an interjection is a word that you
throw in between sentences or thoughts to express a sudden
feeling.

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Standalone Interjections

Because interjections usually express sudden feelings, you’ll

often see them used to convey surprise (both good surprises
and bad ones) or excitement.
Yikes! There’s a snake in the garage! You planned this party just for
me? Wow! Ouch! That wasp just stung
me! Yahoo! Oops. Terrific! Jordan will send you the contract this
afternoon.

There’s no strict rule about where an interjection must go in

relation to other sentences. You can use an interjection before
or after a sentence that explains what’s going on. You can
also use an interjection alone, although it may not make
sense if you haven’t adequately described the situation that
caused you to use the interjection. Interjections often use
exclamation points, but they don’t necessarily have to.

Interjections in a Sentence

It’s possible to use an interjection within a sentence. When

you do, treat the interjection as a parenthetical element that’s
separate from the rest of the sentence. You can put the
interjection inside parentheses or set it off with commas.
I may not succeed, but, hey, at least I tried. The project was delayed
because the logistics team made a few (ahem) miscalculations. It will
take only thirty minutes (Wow!) to reach the city on the new train.

The important thing to remember is that the interjection

should be set off somehow. Don’t just drop it in with nothing
to mark it as separate from the rest of the sentence.

I forgot to do the homework assignment oops but my teacher gave

me an extra day to finish it.

I forgot to do the homework assignment (oops), but my teacher gave

me an extra day to finish it.

Gee I hadn’t thought of that.

Gee, I hadn’t thought of that.

When to Use Interjections

Because interjections are usually separate from other

sentences, it’s hard to use them incorrectly. The bigger
concern is whether it’s appropriate to use an interjection in
your writing. Interjections are fine to use in casual and
informal writing. It’s okay to use them in speech, too. But
avoid using interjections in formal writing because it may
appear that you’re not treating the topic seriously.

And now, you’re ready to go out and use interjections.

Hooray!