When an interjection is used to express a strong emotion, it can stand alone with an exclamation mark:
- Gosh! The Cyclops sure is big!
You can also include the interjection as part of the sentence, using a comma (or commas) to separate the interjection from the rest of the sentence:
- Gosh, the Cyclops sure is big.
- Oh, I think the Cyclops is hungry.
- Hey, you better not bother the Cyclops!
- Hello, Mr. Cyclops! Please do not gobble us up.
If the interjection is inserted directly into the sentence, it has a comma both before and after. If the interjection stands alone, it is followed by an exclamation mark.
- It looks like, hmm, the Cyclops is about to eat my friend. Oh no!
- The Cyclops has killed my friend, alas, and now he is after me! Eeeeek!
Sometimes when the interjection is eliciting a response from the audience, it appears at the end of the sentence, followed by a question mark:
- You know that the Cyclops is seriously dangerous, right?
- Let's not bother the the Cyclops, okay?
There are MANY interjections in English. In fact,
there are hundreds of them. Sometimes interjections express feelings like joy, pain or surprise. Other interjections are addressed to the audience, seeking their attention in some way. Interjections can also be used to indicate a pause or hesitation in speaking. Below is a list of some common English interjections:
Interjections:
ah, alas, amen, aw, behold, boo, bye, cool, damn, darn, doh, duh, eek, eh, gosh, great, hah, ha ha, hail, hello, hey, hi, hmm, hurray, no, O, oh, oh dear, oh my, oh well, OK, okay, ooh, ouch, right, shh, so, tee-hee, thanks, ugh, uh, uh-oh, well, what, whoa, whoops, wow, yay, yeah, yes, yikes
I have not listed English swear words here. You can supply that list on your own! :-)
