Discourse markers: interjections (Easy)

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary with me Callum.

Catherine

And me Catherine. In this programme were talking interjections. Interjections are

words that we use to express an emotion or feeling.

Callum

For example Oh! expresses surprise Hooray! expresses pleasure when something

good happens. Well give you plenty of other examples.

Catherine

Well have a quiz; well finish with a top tip for learning vocabulary.

Callum

Here are Peter and Kylie. Theyre at home in kitchen.

Catherine

And while you listen, think about this question: What emotion does Peter express by the

word Phew! the end of this conversation?

INSERT

Peter and Kylie

Peter: Ow!

Kylie: Whats wrong?

Peter: Ive just cut my .

Kylie: Oh! Quick, wheres the First Aid kit?

Peter: Its in that drawer.

Kylie: Got it. Ugh! Theres blood . Oh no! Its on my T-shirt now. Let me see

your finger.

Peter: There you go.

Kylie: There, got plaster on it, hooray!

Peter: Phew! Thanks.

STING

Callum

So that was Peter and Kylie. And we asked: What does Peter express by the word

Phew! at the end of the conversation?

Catherine

And the answer is that expresses relief. Peter feels relieved that Kylie has got the plaster

on his finger.

Callum

He does. People use a lot in everyday speech. Its interesting that one little

word like Phew! can express so much, isnt it?

It is. And thats why its important to learn to use interjections when your speaking, to

make your English more natural and fluent.

Callum

Now, interjections usually come at the beginning of what we are saying, but they

sometimes come at the end.

Catherine

So Peter says Phew! Thanks, but he could have said Thanks. Phew!

Callum

, whichever way he says it, the interjection stands alone. There are no words to connect

it to what comes or before it.

Catherine

Thats right, and if youre writing a conversation with interjections, theyre usually followed

by an mark.

Callum

Because the exclamation mark emphasises the strength of the emotion and increases the

interest for the reader. ! with an exclamation mark looks more dramatic than Phew.

with a full stop.

Catherine

It does. Thats interesting, isnt ? Lets have our first clip.

INSERT 1 CLIP 1

Peter: Ow!

Kylie: Whats wrong?

Peter: Ive just cut my .

Kylie: Oh! Quick, wheres the First Aid kit?

Peter: Its in that drawer.

Kylie: Got it.

Catherine

Right. So does Peter express with Ow!

Callum

Ow! expresses sudden pain. We can say Ouch! too. They mean the same.

And the second interjection was Oh! Kylie uses it to show surprise and alarm that Peter

has cut his .

Callum

Yes. Now if you wanted to describe the scene in writing you would have to say: Peter

shouted sudden pain, instead of using Ow! Or Peters voice expressed

relief, instead of using Phew!

Catherine

Thats right. Interjections very useful when speaking, but theyre not often used in

written English, except for writing dialogues like the one Peter and Kylie.

Callum

OK. Lets have our second clip.

INSERT 1 CLIP 2

Kylie: Ugh! Theres blood everywhere. no! Its on my T-shirt now. Let me see your

finger.

Peter: There you go.

Kylie: There, got the on it, hooray!

Peter: Phew! Thanks.

Catherine

OK. Kylie uses three interjections there! No we dont usually use so together but the

situation is quite dramatic, so its natural to use them together there.

Callum

There was Ugh!, expresses disgust at the blood everywhere.

Catherine

And there was Oh no! which expresses shock. Kylie was a bit that the blood was

on her T-shirt-.

Callum

And finally Hooray! That expresses pleasure or delight that something good happened.

Kylie was very pleased that shed managed to get the plaster on Peters finger.

Catherine

Other common interjections Wow! for admiration, Oops! for when you make a

mistake and Yippee! for excitement.

IDENT

6 Minute Vocabulary from Learning English.

Callum

Its time now for our quiz! Listen to each sentence, then choose the correct interjection to

before each one. Number one: Theres a dead snake in the road. Is it a) Ouch! Or b)

Ugh!

Its b) Ugh! for disgust

Callum

It is! Number two: What a beautiful building.

Is it a) Wow! Or ) Hooray!

Catherine

Its a) Wow! for admiration.

Callum.

Correct! Number three: Amys passed her driving test.

Is it a) ! Or b) Phew!

Catherine

Its b) Phew! for relief

Callum

Excellent! Thats the end of the quiz and congratulations you got them all right.

Catherine

Before we go, heres todays top tip. When youre speaking everyday English, you ’

always need to use high level vocabulary to express your meaning. Its more important to

be clear and sometimes words like interjections express your meaning much more

clearly than a sentence with advanced vocabulary in it.

Callum

Theres about this at bbclearningenglishcom.. Join us again for more 6 Minute

Vocabulary.

Both

Bye!