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Level: B1

Interjection Punctuation & Position — Practice

When to use an exclamation mark (strong feeling), a comma (softer feeling or sentence starter), or let the interjection stand alone. Plus where it sits in the sentence (beginning, middle, or end). 29 click-to-hear ESL examples.

📝 Interjections unit · lesson 6 of 8 ⏱ about 7 minutes 🔊 every example has audio

Builds on Interjections by Feeling Next in unit Common Mistakes →

  • Exclamation mark — strong feeling
  • Wow! That was amazing! – Strong (!)
  • Ouch! That really hurt! – Strong (!)
  • Yay! We won! – Strong (!)
  • Hooray! It is Friday! – Strong (!)
  • Watch out! There is a car! – Strong (!)
  • Yuck! That is gross! – Strong (!)
  • Comma — softer feeling or sentence starter
  • Well, I guess we can try again. – Soft (,)
  • Hmm, I am not sure about that. – Soft (,)
  • Aww, the puppy is so cute. – Soft (,)
  • Oh, I see what you mean. – Soft (,)
  • Um, can you repeat that? – Soft (,)
  • Ah, now I understand. – Soft (,)
  • Standalone — interjection as the whole sentence
  • Ouch! – Standalone
  • Oops! – Standalone
  • Phew! – Standalone
  • Yikes! – Standalone
  • Shh! – Standalone
  • Position — at the beginning of a sentence
  • Oh no, I forgot my wallet. – Beginning
  • Hey, look at this! – Beginning
  • Wow, that is a beautiful painting. – Beginning
  • Yikes, that is a big bug. – Beginning
  • Position — in the middle of a sentence
  • It was, wow, such a beautiful view. – Middle
  • The food, ugh, was disappointing. – Middle
  • I, um, do not really know what to say. – Middle
  • She gave him, oh, a thousand dollars. – Middle
  • Position — at the end of a sentence
  • That is a problem, indeed. – End
  • I forgot my keys again, good grief. – End
  • We missed the bus, oh well. – End
  • Time for bed, eh? – End