The Elementary Montessori Material - English Restoration ## Chapter 11 - Interjections ## XI **INTERJECTIONS** Since this is the last part of speech to be studied the children are now able to recognize *all* the different parts of speech and it is no longer necessary to make sentences containing only parts of speech which the children know. Therefore in our Italian lessons we choose henceforth sentences from the classic authors (mostly from Manzoni). Since the interjection is really a thought expressed in an abbreviated form it lends itself readily to dramatic interpretation. With the same sentence the children accordingly can now perform the two-fold exercise of general analysis and "interpretative reading." They now recite sentences which they have picked out and studied instead of the commands. At this time also they are given a chart containing the complete classification of interjections. The children read them, interpreting each as they go along by voice and gesture. This is the first table of classification to be presented. Later on all the parts of speech will be given on charts with their definitions and classification. ### Analyses Material: The grammar box is complete. It now has nine separate compartments for the colored cards, article (tan), noun (black), adjective (brown), verb (red), preposition (violet), adverb (pink), pronoun (green), conjunction (yellow), and *interjection* (*blue*). In the compartment\[121\] for the sentence slips are groups of cards which correspond exactly to the number of the words contained in the sentences. **GROUP A\ (Per amor del cielo! oibò! addio! ehm! misericordia! ah!)** *Please!* Don't make so much noise! *Shame on you!* exclaimed Henry, much shocked at those words. *Good-by!* We shall see you to-morrow. *Look out!* If you drop that vase, you will break it. *Mercy on us!* What is the matter with the poor man? *Aha!* now I understand! **GROUP B\ (Eh via! bravo! bene! ehi! poh! per carità! oh!)** *Come, come!* Do you think I am going to believe all that nonsense? *Goodness!* I hope the child is not going to fall. *Thanks!* It was kind of you to help me put my objects away. *Cockadoodledoo!* sang the rooster in the yard! *Ding-dong, ding-dong!* The engines were passing by. There was a fire! *Cheer up!* There is no harm done! **GROUP C\ (Ohè! ih! toh! poveretto! ahi! ohi! eh! animo! uh! ton!)** *Farewell!* The ship gradually drew away from the shore! The houses faded from view one by one. The hills formed a low line on the horizon. *Farewell!* It would be months, years perhaps, before George would see the old familiar town again. *Farewell!* *Help! Help!* came a voice through the fog! A man was drowning. *Hush!* Do you hear that bird singing in the distance? *Alas!* It was too late! When the doctor came, the poor man was dead! \[122\] *Hurrah! Hurrah!* The soldiers were now almost at the top of the hill. *Hurrah! hurrah!* The red-white-and-blue was waving at last where the enemy had held out so long! *Bang!* In the still night the sound of a gun roused the sleeping inhabitants. ### CHART OF CLASSIFIED INTERJECTIONS (For interpretative reading)\ Italian Interjections: *Pain:* ahi! ohi! ohimè! ahimè! ah! oh! poveretto! *Prayer:* deh! mercè! aiuto! per carità! per amor di Dio! *Surprise*, *wonder:* Oh! ih! nientedimeno! poh! toh! eh! corbezzoli! bazzecole! caspita! cospetto! uh! oooh! misericordia! diavolo! bubbole! *Threat:* ehm! guai! *Disgust*, *horror:* puh! puah! brr! *Anger:* oibò! vergogna! *Doubt:* uhm! *Weariness:* auf! auff! *Calls*, *silence:* ehi! ohè! olà! alto là! pss! st! psst! *Demonstratives:* ecco! riecco! eccomi! eccoci! *Encouragement:* orsù! via! suvvia! animo! coraggio! arri là! hop hop! *Greeting:* salve! vale! addio! arrivederci! ave! ciao! *Applause:* bene! bravo! viva! evviva! gloria! osanna! alleluja! *Onomatapoetic:* crac! patatrac! piff paff! din don! ton ton! zum zum! bum bum! *Animal sounds:* gnau! chicchirichì! coccodè! cra cra cra! uè uè uè! glu glu glu! pi pi pi! cri cri! fron fron! bu bu! *Curses:* accidenti! accidempoli! perbacco! canchero! malanaggia! ### English Interjections: *Pain:* oh! alas! ah! ouch! my! *Joy:* oh! ah! oh my! good! splendid! *Surprise:* ha! aha! oh! really! you don't say! indeed! well, well! upon my word! *Contempt:* fudge! pshaw! fie! nonsense! bother! \[123\] *Hesitation:* hum! *Resolution:* by Jove! *Silence:* hush! hist! listen! shh! *To animals:* whoa! gee! haw! geddap! kitty-kitty! puss-puss! *Onomatapoetic:* ding-dong! bang! whiz! bing! crack! snap! etc., etc. (In general the use of interjections, especially of capricious character, is much more characteristic of the best Italian writing and speech than it is of English.)