Cognitive Interjections

What are Cognitive Interjections?

Cognitive interjections are interjections that convey thoughts or thought processes. It’s one of the types of interjections classified according to function and not structure. Some primary and secondary interjections are cognitive.

Here are some examples of cognitive interjections in sentences:

• Can you, uh, say that again?
• Please, what’s the worst that can happen?
• Wow! I certainly didn’t expect to see that.
• Uh oh, you forgot to fill up some parts of the template.
• Hmm, I think it would be better if we held the convention here.

Cognitive Interjections Rules

Cognitive interjections are common in speech, and because they convey reactions to strong feelings, their usage is often reflexive. In addition, they keep no value grammatically and are used generously in speaking. The rules they do have are limited to writing: spelling, punctuation, and purpose. Here are the general guidelines:

Rules	Explanation/Example
Formal vs Informal Writing	Interjections are considered sloppy and unprofessional in academic and corporate documents such as research papers, business plans, feasibility studies, contracts, and so on. They may be acceptable in less stringent types of correspondence such as business emails directed to business associates or customers. This is dependent on the kind of atmosphere the workplace maintains and the familiarity that the people involved have with each other. Be that as it may, the usage of interjections is generally discouraged in business writing. Meanwhile, interjections are often used in all types of informal or creative writing such as blogs, editorials, and advertising materials.
Interjections within sentences	You can normally find interjections at the beginning or end of sentences, but they may also occur within sentences. In this instance, they should be set off by punctuation marks: commas, dashes, parentheses, or ellipses. The points in which interjections are placed within sentences should also make grammatical sense. For instance: – Petya didn’t understand the procedure (uh oh) but didn’t think to ask. – I remember, um, Helen came by on Tuesday. – You can talk, well, to Clara about it.
Punctuations	While it makes sense to punctuate interjections with exclamation points, other punctuation marks can be used as well. Different punctuation marks can modify the intensity behind an interjection’s emotion. For example: – Comma (,): suggests a less intense reaction – Period (.): suggests a neutral reaction. – Question mark (?): suggests skepticism, ignorance, or interest.

Examples of Cognitive Interjections

1. Well, how many options are available?

2. I’m not sure who’s free now. Hmm.

3. Tsk tsk, these instructions aren’t helpful at all.

4. Eh, I’m not a picky eater so anything goes.

5. Everyone takes more than a minute to process this. Please.

6. I don’t know if, er, that’s the right color for our brand.

7. Oh dear, I can’t seem to remember the date.

8. Ugh! I don’t have any idea what to write about.

9. I’m still considering if, uh, I have an actual shot at this.

10. Wow! This puzzle is a lot more difficult than it looks.

11. Alas! Trevor miscalculated the measurement of the wall.

12. Clearly I hadn’t thought that it might be a joke. Oops.

13. Mmm, so many things look good on the menu.

14. Wait, I still need a few more minutes to make a decision.

15. Did she really do that? Yeah right, I don’t believe you.

Cognitive Interjections Exercises with Answers

Exercise on Cognitive Interjections

This exercise will test how well you understand emotive interjections. Complete each sentence by picking the correct cognitive interjection from the list.

come again      nice      really      wait      oh no oops      um      alas      yeah right      hmm

­­1. ____________, I don’t think I’ve printed the files yet.

2. ____________! He was right about the flight being delayed.

3. This is a very elegant solution to the genome problem. ____________!

4. ____________, I’m surprised they care about what I think.

5. ____________? I’m sorry the machine’s noise distracted me.

6. ____________! She been planning to go on that diet for the past two years.

7. Making a decision quickly has always been, ____________, difficult for me.

8. ____________! How many minutes do we have until they get here?

9. ____________! I forgot that the meeting changed venues!

10. ____________? I thought Mrs. Nillos would be a bit more opposed.

Answers

1. Oops, I don’t think I’ve printed the files yet.

2. Alas! He was right about the flight being delayed.

3. This is a very elegant solution to the genome problem. Nice!

4. Hmm, I’m surprised they care about what I think.

5. Come again? I’m sorry the machine’s noise distracted me.

6. Yeah right! She been planning to go on that diet for the past two years.

7. Making a decision quickly has always been, um, difficult for me.

8. Wait! How many minutes do we have until they get here?

9. Oh no! I forgot that the meeting changed venues!

10. Really? I thought Mrs. Nillos would be a bit more opposed.

Cognitive Interjections List

Here’s a table listing cognitive interjections that are commonly used:

Cognitive Interjections List
Primary	Secondary
alas uh oh oh no yum um tut tut er ugh eh huh	please well oh dear wait what come again really yeah right nice amazing

Advice for ESL Students & English Language Learners

You can consider three areas in the English language related to cognitive interjections: speaking, informal writing, and formal writing.

Cognitive interjections are very common in speaking. They’re normally reactions to spurts of strong feelings that people experience at the moment. Because of this, they are used without following a particular set of rules. In fact, they possess no grammatical value in speech.

In creative writing and other types of informal written communication (usually with the aim to express opinions, share personal experiences, develop characters, or elicit responses), cognitive interjections are used with proper punctuation, spelling, and frequency. Context is also an important element. Without sufficient background, interjections won’t make sense.

In formal or business communication, interjections are avoided for the most part. Even if a company has a laid-back culture and employees are generally friendly toward each other, interjections are most appropriately relegated to conversations at the office.

Additionally, it is important for learners to properly understand volitive interjections and emotive interjections.

Common Errors Made by English Learners

Common Errors	Explanation/Examples
Stray Interjections	A common thing that many English learners forget is to use punctuation marks with interjections. Interjections must always have something that sets them apart from the rest of the sentences. For example: Without punctuation: – Math is well difficult for me. – Really I thought I turned it off. With punctuation: – Math is, well, difficult for me. – Really, I thought I turned it off.
Wrong Intensity	Interjections are almost always spoken unexpectedly because they’re reactions to surges of emotions such as happiness, surprise, anger, relief, alarm, haste, annoyance, and so on. So the normal way of punctuating them with exclamation points is within reason. However, different punctuation marks can be used to moderate an interjection’s intensity. A comma can decrease the strength of the emotion behind the interjection, and a period can neutralize it. A question mark can express ignorance, inquisitiveness, or skepticism. Dashes, ellipses, and parentheses can give the impression of a commentary, which can work effectively as a literary device for conflict or entertainment. So consider the degree of emotion that you want to emphasize in your writing and punctuate them accordingly. You wouldn’t want to keep using exclamation points when the intensity of the interjections doesn’t match them.
Unnecessary Interjections	Dialogues, when written well, will turn a story into a well-rounded and more appealing narrative. But while interjections are used to enrich the value of dialogues, it’s perhaps more crucial to make the characters sound realistic. Dialogues that are over-indulgent with interjections can feel obviously forced, exaggerated, or awkward. It’s actually a well-known practice that writers read their dialogues aloud to make sure their characters sound authentic. If you’re confused about whether to use interjections, remember that they’re fundamentally unnecessary, so you can remove them if you need to and without consequence. Additionally, interjections also function as literary devices to differentiate characters by solidifying their distinctive personalities. For example, a character who says uh a lot may indicate a person with low self-esteem, and gradually erasing them from their way of talking can signify that they are gaining confidence. A regal character who always uses strong interjections speaks hesitantly with a character they have feelings for. Dialogues have the ability to display these emotions without stating them outright.

Learning Strategies and Best Practices with Cognitive Interjections

Here are some key takeaways from this article about emotive interjections.

1. Cognitive Interjections have no value in grammar. Yes, they can highlight specific emotions or strong opinions, but erasing all of them from your writing won’t noticeably affect the meaning of your sentences.
2. Some interjections such as er, uh, and um can act as hesitation devices. In speaking, they can give you the time and room to formulate a more eloquent response. In writing, it can imply certain elements without talking about them directly: characters’ personalities, the surrounding tension, the mood of the moment, and so on.
3. When people are in a hurry, they don’t feel especially keen on indulging in long answers. So they use words that are actual parts of speech as quick and short replies or commands. This is where secondary interjections come from because literally any word can be used as a secondary interjection. These most widely-used cognitive interjections are “what”, “no”, “again”, “really”, “wow,”etc.
4. When writing creatively, make sure that whatever interjections you include in your dialogues are authentic to your characters. A young male protagonist, for example, may not use expressions such as “oh dear”, “good heavens”, “good grief,” and so on. In the same thread, a 60-year-old female character probably won’t use yo! to call someone’s attention.

Cognitive Interjections Frequently Asked Questions