The interjection is a part of speech which is more commonly used in informal language than in formal writing or speech. Basically, the function of interjections is to express emotions or sudden bursts of feelings. They can express a wide variety of emotions such as: excitement, joy, surprise, or disgust.
What are the Structures and Importance of Interjections?
Interjections can come in the form of a single word, a phrase, or even a short clause. Aside from that, they are usually (but not always) placed at the beginning of a sentence. The importance of interjections lies in the fact that they can convey feelings that may sometimes be neglected in the sentence.
Take for example, the sentence “That book is about vampires.”
One person can write it as:
Or
But then again, another person might use an interjection to show the same feeling of disgust (as in sentence number 2):
So you see from the sentence above that the word “eww” conveys the emotional response to what is said in the sentence. It can act as a replacement for emoticons and are more appropriate to use in writing, especially in character dialogues.
What are the Different Kinds of Interjections?
Below are the different kinds of interjections:
Examples:
The italicized words in the sample sentences above are just some of the adjectives that can be used as interjections.
Examples:
The italicized parts of the sentences above are just some of the nouns that can be used as interjections.
Example:
The short clause that is italicized in the example above functions as an interjection.
Examples:
How do You Punctuate Interjections?
Since interjections convey different kinds of emotions, there are also different ways to punctuate them.
The exclamation point is the most commonly used punctuation mark for interjections. Obviously, it is used to communicate strong emotions such as surprise, excitement, or anger.
Examples:
For weaker emotions, a period or a comma will suffice.
Examples:
If you intend to use interjections to express uncertainty or disbelief, it is more appropriate to use a question mark.
Examples:
What are Other Examples of Interjections?
Final Thoughts
Although interjections may seem trivial, the reality is that this part of speech is very important because it can sometimes be difficult to express emotions in written language. Emoticons may not be appropriate or possible under certain circumstances, so using interjections proves to be a more viable option. Just remember all the substantial information provided in this article, especially when it comes to using the proper punctuation marks to convey intensity, and you will surely be able to use this part of speech effectively in your own written text.
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