There is a clear difference between interjection and exclamation. An exclamation is a word or a number of words which expresses an emotion. An interjection can be defined as a word that is being used with an exclamation mark. The main difference between an exclamation and an interjection is that all interjections are exclamations, but not all exclamations are interjections. Through this article let us examine the differences between an exclamation and an interjection.
What is an Exclamation?
An exclamation is a word or a number of words which expresses an emotion. An exclamation can come in the form of an interjection too. However, it can also come in the form of a sentence, with an exclamation mark at the end. For example,
Go to your room!
Stop screaming!
In these examples, the exclamation is in the form of an order that is being made to another individual. These exclamations are packed with emotion. However, this is not the only instance when an exclamation can be used. If the speaker wishes to express strong emotions regarding a topic, exclamations can be used. For example,
What a wonderful day!
How amazing!
Notice the difference in usage in the two sets of example. In both these cases, an exclamation is a number of words that express packed emotions. Unlike an exclamation, an interjection is shorter.
‘What a wonderful day!’
What is an Interjection?
An interjection is a word that is being used with an exclamation mark. Just as an exclamation, an interjection also reveals an outburst of emotion that the speaker experiences. Unlike an exclamation, an interjection is always in a single word. Aha, Alas, bravo, cheers, eh, Er, Hi!, Hmm, Indeed, Oh, Ouch, Phew, Well, and Wow! are some examples for interjections.
Grammatical rules usually do not apply for interjections as they are very short. This does not denote that interjections cannot be connected to sentences. They can, but even when connected to a sentence they do not have any grammatical connection with the rest of the sentence. For example,
Wow! You look amazing.
Ouch, that hurts.
Well, I have to think about it.
Look at each example. Notice that there is a difference in the first example and the rest. In the first example, an exclamation mark (!) has been used. In the rest of the sentences, this cannot be seen. This is another characteristic of interjections. In some interjections, an exclamation mark can be used. However, it does not apply to all interjections.
Ouch, that hurts
What is the difference between Interjection and Exclamation?
• Definition of Interjection and Exclamation:
• An exclamation can be defined as a word or a number of words that express an emotion.
• An interjection can be defined as a word that is being used with an exclamation mark.
• Word or Sentence:
• An exclamation is not a single word. It can even be a sentence.
• An interjection is usually a single word.
• Purpose:
• An interjection expresses one’s emotions.
• An exclamation goes a step further than an interjection. It can be used for other purposes as well such as when demanding something or ordering.
• Grammatical Rules:
• Grammatical rules apply for exclamations.
• Grammatical rules do not apply for interjections.
• Connection:
• All interjections are exclamations, but not all exclamations are interjections.
Images Courtesy:
- Wonderful day by Heribert Pohl — Thanks for half a million clicks! (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Ouch by SigNote Cloud (CC BY 2.0)
Interjections
(3)
are words
we use when we express our feelings strongly and which may be said to
exist in language as conventional symbols of human emotions. +
The interjection is regarded as a part of speech. But there is
another view which regards the interjection not as a part of speech
but as a sentence. A closer investigation into the nature and
functions of the interjection proves that the interjection is not a
sentence; it is a word with strong emotive meaning. The pauses that
frame interjections can be accounted for by the sudden transfer
from the emotional to the logical or vice versa. The definite
intonation with which interjections are pronounced depends on the
sense of the preceding or following sentence. Interjections have no
sentence meaning if taken independently.
Oh, where
are you going to, all you Big Steamers? (Kipling)
The interjection oh
by itself
may express various feelings, such as regret, despair, disappo
intment, sorrow, woe, surprise, astonishment, lamentation, entreaty
and many others. It precedes a definite sentence and must be
regarded as a part of it. The Oh
here may
be regarded as a signal indicating emotional tension.
The same may be observed in
the use of the interjection oh
in the
following sentence from «A Christmas Carol» by Dickens:
«Oh, but
he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge.»
The Oh
here is a
signal indicating the strength of the emotions of the author. The
emotion to be understood is one of disgust or scorn. So interjections
radiate the emotional element over the whole of the utterance,
provided that they precede it.
Interjections
can be divided into primary
and
derivative.
Primary
interjections are generally devoid of any logical meaning.
Derivative interjections may retain a modicum of logical
meaning, though this is suppressed by the volume of emotive meaning.
Oh Ah
Bah Pooh Gash Hushl Alas’, are
primary interjections, though some of them once had logical meaning.
‘Heavens!’, ‘good gracious, ‘dear me!’, ‘God!’, ‘Come on!’, ‘Look
here!’, ‘dear!’, ‘by the Lordl’, ‘God knows!’, ‘Bless me!’, ‘Humbug!’
These are exclamatory words and word-combinations generally used as
interjections, their function is that of the interjection.
Some adjectives, nouns and
adverbs can also take on the function of interjections- for example,
such words as terrible,
awful,
great, wonderful, splendid, find, man, boy! With
proper intonation and with an adequate pause these words may acquire
a strong emotional colouring and arc equal in force to interjections.
Some adjectives and adverbs have acquired an additional grammatical
meaning, that of the interjection. An interjection may be considered
as bookish by one scholar and as neutral
by another, or
colloquial by one and neutral by another. The difference between
colloquial and bookish will always be clear enough. In evaluating the
attitude of a writer to the things, ideas, events and phenomena he is
dealing with, the ability of the reader to pin-point the emotional
element becomes of importance. It is hidden under seemingly impartial
description or narrative, and only an insignificant lexical unit, or
the syntactical design of an utterance, will reveal the author’s
mood. But interjections are direct signals that the utterance is
emotionally charged, and insufficient attention on the part of the
literary critic to the use of interjections will deprive him of a
truer understanding of the writer’s aims.
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A few more examples of exclamations in American English are Hoo-boy!, Attagirl!, Hot damn!, Fuhgedaboudit!, and Holy smokes!.
(Jacquie Boyd/Getty Images)
Updated on October 20, 2018
An exclamation is a sudden, forceful expression or cry. Adjective: exclamatory. The rhetorical term for an exclamation is ecphonesis. Also called a response cry.
Although many exclamations are single-word interjections (including a number of taboo words), some exclamations take the form of phrases and clauses.
Examples and Observations
- What a Great Exclamation!
«Some exclamation begin with the words what and how which are also interrogative words. Examples of their use in exclamations are What a lovely baby that is! and How prettily it gurgles! But these are not interrogative sentences.» - Antiquated Exclamations
«Before the governor had time to answer this question, Pallet broke forth into an exclamation of ‘By the Lord! that is certainly fact, egad!… Gadzooks; you’re in the right, sir.'» - Tom Wolfe’s Exclamations
«One of the signature devices of [Tom] Wolfe’s style is his periodic bursts of enthusiastic endorsement or identification—‘But exactly!’ ‘Of course!’ ‘Just right!’ While these interruptions are perhaps too playful and ironic to qualify as expressions of what Longinus calls ‘vehement and inspired passion,’ they do imply the intensity of Wolfe’s involvement in the actions he is describing. They contribute to the effect of hypotyposis: it’s as if Wolfe is re-experiencing his initial enthusiasms in the present of the essay.» - The Lighter Side of Exclamations
Blackadder: Sir, might I let loose a short violent exclamation?
Prince George: Certainly.
Blackadder: [Blackadder moves discreetly sideways, then shouts] Damn!
Pronunciation
ex-kla-MAY-shen
Also Known As
ejaculatioe
Sources
James R. Hurford, Grammar: A Student’s Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994
Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, 1751
Chris Anderson, Style as Argument: Contemporary American Nonfiction. Southern Illinois University Press, 1987
Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie in «Dish and Dishonesty.» Black Adder the Third, 1987
An exclamative is one of the four main sentence functions in English. Exclamative sentences do just what they say on the tin, make exclamations.
There are four main sentence functions in the English language. They are Declaratives (e.g. The cat is on the mat ), Imperatives (e.g. Get the cat off the mat ), Interrogatives (e.g. Where is the cat?), and Exclamatives (e.g What a cute cat!).
Be careful not to confuse sentence functions with sentence structures. Sentence functions describe the purpose of the sentence, whereas a sentence structure is how the sentence is formed, ie. simple sentences, complex sentences, compound sentences, and compound-complex sentences.
We make exclamations all of the time. However, the type of phrase or clause associated with an exclamation makes an exclamative sentence.
Exclamations typically express strong feelings, like anger, excitement, and happiness, or they help express opinions, such as likes and dislikes. Exclamations come in many forms, from interjections (Wow! ) to complete sentences (That cake was so tasty! ). However, an exclamative sentence must contain the words What or How. For example, ‘What a cute puppy!’.
Although not necessary, most exclamative sentences end with an exclamation mark (!). Even though we make exclamations all the time, we generally use exclamative sentences less than the other sentence functions.
When should I use an exclamative?
Exclamative sentences make exclamations; we use them when we want to express strong feelings or emotions, express our personal assessments, or opinions about a situation. Exclamative sentences are most common in everyday speech; however, you will also find them in literature and poetry.
Exclamative sentences are always exclamations, but not all exclamations are exclamative sentences; this is because exclamative sentences always contain the words What or How. Feeling confused? Don’t worry; we will cover this in more detail soon.
What are some examples of exclamative sentences?
Let’s take a look at some examples of exclamative sentences:
-
Oh Granny, what big eyes you have! (from Little Red Riding Hood)
-
How I love you!
-
What a mess you’ve made!
-
What a wonderful world.
-
Lord, what fools these mortals be! (William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
-
Oh, how she wished he didn’t have to leave.
Fig 1. How I love you
Examples of exclamatives in Literature
Although exclamative sentences are most commonly used in everyday speech, plenty of examples are used in literature and poetry. When used effectively, they can help emphasize the characters’ feelings and emotions.
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.
— The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare (1600)
Shakespeare was quite a fan of exclamatives. This quote from The Merchant of Venice is an excellent example of an exclamative sentence, as it begins with how and ends with an exclamation mark. The speaker (Portia) is expressing her personal view about the light of a candle.
Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud) How fast she nears and nears!
—The Rime of Ancient Mariner, ST Coleridge (1798)
This line from Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has an interjection (Alas! ) before the exclamative sentence; this technique is quite common in poetry as it can grab the reader’s attention. Here, the speaker uses an exclamative to express emotion (perhaps shock, surprise, or happiness — you decide) at the speed the boat is approaching. Just like Shakespeare’s quote, this exclamative also begins with how and ends with an exclamation mark.
How do I form an exclamative sentence?
Typically, exclamative sentences are formed using either What or How. Let’s take a look at some of the forms (structures) of exclamative sentences.
How | ||
How | amazing (adjective) | it is! |
How | quickly (adverb) | he runs! |
How | she (subject) | sings! |
Although not necessary, exclamative sentences usually end with an exclamation mark (!).
Exclamations vs exclamative
By now, I’m sure you’re probably wondering about exclamations and their difference from exclamative sentences so let’s try and clear up some confusion and answer any questions you may have.
All exclamative sentences are exclamations, but not all exclamations are exclamative sentences. In fact, more often than not, sentences that end with an exclamation mark are simply different sentence functions made with emotion and given an exclamation mark to highlight that emotion; we call these exclamations. For example, declarative sentences made with emotion and ending with exclamation marks are called exclamatory sentences.
Exclamative sentences must contain the words What or How, whereas exclamations come in all shapes and sizes.
Is every sentence that ends with an exclamation mark an exclamative sentence? The simple answer is no, but you may be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Let’s take a look at some comparative examples.
Exclamation examples:
- Wow! (Interjection)
- It’s alive! (Exclamatory) (Did you know this exclamation appeared in the 1931 film adaptation of Frankenstein but never actually appeared in Mary Shelly’s original novel)
- Look out! (Imperative)
- What on earth is that ?! (Interrogative)
All of these examples are exclamations but are not exclamative sentences. They do, however, express emotion and end with an exclamation mark.
Exclamative examples:
-
What a mess you’ve made!
-
How I’ve missed you!
-
How lovely!
-
What a beautiful place!
All of these examples contain the exclamative words What and How and are, therefore, exclamatives.
Fig 2. What a mess you’ve made!
Different types of exclamative sentences
We already know that exclamative sentences must contain the words What or How, but there are a few different types of exclamative sentences. Let’s take a look at them.
Elliptical exclamative sentences
It’s common, especially in everyday speech, to shorten exclamative sentences. This usually involves cutting the verb from the end of the sentence.
For example:
What an amazing place this is! → What an amazing place!
How fantastic that film was! → How fantastic!
Although these are not technically complete sentences, they are used all of the time.
A common form of elliptical exclamative sentences is
How + Adjective. For example ‘How lovely!’
Adjectives on their own that express emotions are called interjections. Remember, these are exclamations but not exclamative sentences.
-
Fantastic!
-
Lovely!
-
Strange!
Exclamative sentences with interjections
We often begin exclamative sentences with an interjection, such as wow, hey, or oh. Doing this reinforces the exclamative and can add emphasis or demand more of the listeners’ attention.
-
Wow, what an enormous cake!
-
Oh, how lovely!
-
Gosh, what a mess!
Interjections on their own, such as Wow! Ouch! and hey! are exclamations but not exclamative sentences.
Exclamative sentences with a subject
We can also begin exclamative sentences with a subject. Doing this can make it clearer who we are talking to. Even amongst those who are not religious, it is also quite common to begin an exclamative with Lord or God.
-
Oh Grandma, what big teeth you have!
-
Oh Lord, what a mess!
-
God, how I hate this subject!
What is an exclamation?
Now you know what an exclamative sentence is, it should be pretty easy to spot an exclamation. An exclamation can be a sound, word, or sentence that expresses emotion, such as surprise, excitement, admiration, or anger. Exclamations are typically things we say suddenly and end with an exclamation mark to express urgency or strong emotion.
-
Ouch!
-
Nice car!
-
What’s that ?!
-
Look out!
-
Quick! The dog is on the run!
When should I use an exclamation mark?
Exclamation marks, or exclamation points, are used at the end of a sentence to help us express our emotions or emphasise a point. When used effectively, they can help bring our writing to life and add emphasis to our writing. After all, doesn’t ‘I love it! ‘ pack more of a punch than ‘I love it. ‘. However, we must be cautious not to overuse exclamation marks as this can reduce their impact and eventually, your reader might become disengaged from their meaning entirely.
Can I use an exclamation mark in formal writing?
There is a bit of a debate as to whether exclamation marks belong in formal writing. Some people will argue that they have no place at all, whereas others will say that, if used sparingly, they’re not a problem. What we will say is, make sure you only ever use one exclamation mark at a time, use them only where they belong, and it’s probably best to keep them out of any academic writing.
!
Exclamatives — key takeaways
- Exclamative sentences must contain the words What or How. Remember, all exclamative sentences are exclamations but not all exclamations are exclamative sentences.
- Exclamative sentences are used to express strong thoughts, feelings, emotions, and personal assessments.
- Exclamative sentences typically end with an exclamation mark. Be careful not to overuse these.
- Exclamative sentences are often shortened and don’t contain a verb. E.g. ‘What a nice surprise!’
- We often put interjections at the beginning of exclamative sentences to add emphasis. E.g. ‘Wow! What a nice car! ‘
In the current environment, exclamations and abbreviations should already be equated with a separate variant of any language, because teenagers communicate that way. Sometimes for adults it is just a large and not very clear set of letters, in which it is very difficult to find the meaning.
What are exclamations? These are very emotionally colored words, sometimes phrases. Moreover, the coloring can be both positive and negative.
Simple exclamations
Everyone knows came to us from the English «wow!», right? But now we will try to go further and see how many more exclamations there are.
- Hey! You!
- Oops!
- Whoa!
- Geez!/Gee!
- Dah!
- Nah!
- Awe!
- Urgh!
- Yay!
- Eww!
Exclamations of two and three words
This is where constructions with what and how appear. The latter is the easiest, so let’s start with it. Adding an adjective to how is enough to make an exclamation. Emotions are added depending on the situation.
- How beautiful!
- How big!
- How bright!
- How slow!
- How loud!
And so on…
Everything is simple here. Then there will be a construction with what, in which the indefinite article appears, giving the expression emotionality and an exclamatory tone. Remember that the article is used only in the singular.
The structure will be like this:
What + article + adjective + noun
- What a big house!
- What a long river!
- What a smart girl!
- What a boring movie!
- What an interesting book!
- What a strange person!
So/such + adjective in a sentence
In addition to individual exclamations, we can say that there are exclamations that are part of the sentence. In this case, we will add so/such to the adjective to enhance its meaning.
So + adjectivе
- That painting is so unusual!
- The boy I met before is so smart!
Such + indefinite article + noun + adjective
- My grandmother was such a wonderful woman!
- Chris is such a good swimmer!
The article is not used in the plural or with uncountable nouns.
- We’ve read such interesting books!
- Granma gave us such delicious juice!
Denial in exclamations
Another way to express an exclamation is to add a question and a negative to it.
- Wow, isn’t this lake amazing!
- Doesn’t he look pretty!
Converting normal sentences to exclamatory ones
To make a sentence with, say, a compliment, an exclamation, it is enough to change its structure. Usually the sentence has the following structure: subject + auxiliary verb + adjective (predicate). In an exclamatory sentence, the scheme will be: what / how + article (singular) + adjective + subject + predicate. Let’s look at examples to make it easier.
- He is attractive boy. – What an attractive boy he is.
- She has big eyes. – What big eyes she has.
Bonus
English will not be English if it does not contain words that are not so easy to hear in everyday communication, or they are unfamiliar to us as exclamations. So, here is a list of what English-speaking people use as exclamations, and what might sound like complete nonsense to us!
- Bazinga! Big Bang Theory fans have entered the chat. Here explanations are superfluous. However, if you are not familiar with this exclamation, then the closest in meaning can be called “Boo!” When you scare someone. In the series, Sheldon often used this expression in surprise situations.
- Cowabunga! “An untranslatable pun on the local dialect.” Or Michelangelo’s signature phrase from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, most often paired with the word dude.
- Aloha! — A Hawaiian word used as a greeting or farewell, or to express love, affection, etc. Reminds me of Lilo & Stitch, huh?
- Banzai! — translated from Japanese as «ten thousand years», but in the language it is used as a battle cry. Strange, isn’t it?
- Eureka! — An exclamation known to all thanks to grandfather Newton. Now you rarely see him in colloquial speech, but the fact of his presence in the list of famous exclamations cannot be denied,
- Hasta la vista (baby)! – See you, (baby)! / See you! The most Hollywood of all ever existing Hollywood statements. Yes, we are talking about movies again. In this case, Terminator.
- Shazam! — Pabam! Used to express a surprising or unexpected action. There’s also a superhero movie of the same name… ahem, sorry.
In fact, you can easily list at least a dozen more exclamations, but they will already have a negative connotation, so it’s better to learn them on your own, and preferably directly in the language environment.
***
The topic of exclamations, as we said at the beginning, is quite extensive and interesting. Therefore, if you are in America, and people speak English that is not familiar to you, expressing emotions simply by a set of letters, do not be alarmed, perhaps this is the language that you will speak after spending a month or two there.
Table of Contents
- What is the suffix of exclamation?
- When was the word exclamation first used?
- What does exclamatory mean?
- What are five exclamatory sentences?
- What are exclamatory sentences?
- What are 10 examples of exclamatory?
- What are the two main types of sentences?
- What are the 2 types of sentences?
- What are the 5 kinds of sentences?
- What are the 12 types of sentences?
- What can I write about myself?
- How can I write about my life?
- How do you write 10 lines about yourself?
- How do you write 20 lines about yourself?
- What means Ghostwriting?
- What is a life story?
Words related to exclamation bellow, clamor, roar, ejaculation, cry, call, expletive, holler, outcry, vociferation, utterance, yell, interjection, yawp.
What is the suffix of exclamation?
exclamation – Suffix exclaiming. she gave an exclamation of delight.
When was the word exclamation first used?
The exclamation mark was first introduced into English printing in the 15th century to show emphasis, and was called the “sign of admiration or exclamation” or the “note of admiration” until the mid-17th century; “admiration” referred to that word’s Latin-language sense, of wonderment.
What does exclamatory mean?
: containing, expressing, using, or relating to exclamation an exclamatory phrase.
What are five exclamatory sentences?
exclamatory sentence: You are amazing! In truth, exclamation marks are like sugar….Exclamatory Sentences That Express Strong Emotion:
- Happy birthday, Amy!
- Thank you, Sheldon!
- I hate you!
- Ice cream sundaes are my favorite!
What are exclamatory sentences?
An exclamatory sentence is used to express a strong emotion. It starts with a “How” or a “What” and ends with an exclamation mark (!). To form an exclamatory ‘what’ sentence with a singular noun, use the form: ‘What a(n) [adjective] [noun]!’ Exclamatory ‘how’ sentences are formed in this way: ‘How + adjective/adverb!’
What are 10 examples of exclamatory?
Here are some examples of exclamatory sentences:
- You were meant to be back yesterday!
- Jeepers! You scared the life out of me!
- We won!
- This puzzle is driving me up the wall!
- You’re adorable!
- It’s a boy!
- I’m really going to miss this place!
What are the two main types of sentences?
The 4 English Sentence Types
form | function | |
---|---|---|
1 | declarative | statement: It tells us something |
2 | interrogative | question: It asks us something |
3 | imperative | command: It tells us to do something |
4 | exclamative | exclamation: It expresses surprise |
What are the 2 types of sentences?
A simple sentence is the most effective way to deliver one main point.
- COMPOUND SENTENCES contain two or more independent clauses.
- COMPLEX SENTENCES have one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
- COMPOUND-COMPLEX sentences have two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
What are the 5 kinds of sentences?
If we talked about the meaning-based division of sentences, there are 5 kinds of sentences.
- Declarative Sentence.
- Interrogative Sentence.
- Imperative Sentence.
- Exclamatory Sentence.
- Optative Sentence.
What are the 12 types of sentences?
Types of Sentences
- 1 (1) Declarative Sentences.
- 2 (2) Imperative Sentences.
- 3 (3) Interrogative Sentences.
- 4 (4) Exclamatory Sentences.
What can I write about myself?
26 Writing Prompts About Yourself
- What is something you are good at doing?
- What is your favorite color and why?
- What is the story behind your name?
- Which country do you want to visit and why?
- What is your favorite cartoon?
- What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
- What is your favorite thing about school?
How can I write about my life?
Try these 7 life writing tips to start:
- Decide whether you’ll write non-fiction or fictionalize.
- Choose an approach to time.
- Do what you need to set aside any fear.
- Summarize significant events to cover.
- Allow your authentic voice.
- Avoid telling the truth in oversimplified terms.
- Get help pulling your life story into shape.
How do you write 10 lines about yourself?
FAQ’s on 10 Lines on Myself
- I am eager to learn.
- I am determined.
- I never give up until I finish something.
- I get on well with all kinds of people.
- Hard work doesn’t bother me.
- I like everything I do to be well-organized.
How do you write 20 lines about yourself?
20 lines on Myself
- My name is Kartik Solanki.
- I am eleven years old boy.
- My birthday is on 6th March.
- I study in class 5 in Central School.
- I live in a joint family with my grandparents, parents and sister.
- I love my family very much and enjoy spending time with them.
- I have many friends but Yuvraj is my best friend.
What means Ghostwriting?
: to write for and in the name of another. transitive verb. : to write (a speech, a book, etc.) for another who is the presumed or credited author. Other Words from ghostwrite Example Sentences Learn More About ghostwrite.
What is a life story?
: the things that have happened to someone in life a life story that includes a childhood of extreme poverty She told us her life story.