Interrupting Word and Phrase Examples

An interrupting word or phrase is a group of words that breaks into the middle of a sentence to add a comment, a detail or a bit of emphasis. The sentence would still work without it. Writers often call these elements interrupters, insertions or parenthetical expressions. They are usually set off by commas, dashes or parentheses.

What Is an Interrupting Word or Phrase?

Here is a simple example:

The meeting, as you know, starts at nine.

Take away as you know and the sentence still makes sense: The meeting starts at nine. The interrupter adds a light conversational touch without changing the core meaning. That is one reason interrupters make writing feel more like speech. Splitting words that normally sit together is also a classic figure of speech, covered in hyperbaton examples.

Examples of Interrupters

Here are common kinds, with the interrupter in bold.

Contrary negatives (often beginning with not or but not)

The backspace key, not the delete key, removes the previous character.
Bicycles, but not skateboards, are allowed in this part of the park.

Independent comments (the writer’s aside or an attribution)

Tea drinkers, we all agreed, use more sugar than coffee drinkers.
“I disagree,” he said, “I think coffee drinkers use more.” (Dialogue tags like this are discussed in different voices in writing.)

Transition words and phrases

The results, however, were not what we expected.
The plan, of course, may change.
She is, on the other hand, a very careful driver.

Nonessential descriptions (appositives and relative clauses)

My sister, a nurse in Leeds, is visiting next week.
The old library, which closed in 2010, is now a cafe.

Direct address

I think, Anna, that you should apply.

Interjections and mild asides

The service was, frankly, disappointing.
Our new neighbor is, well, rather loud.

Choosing Commas, Dashes or Parentheses

The punctuation you use changes how strongly the interrupter breaks into the sentence.

Commas are the mildest. They treat the interrupter as a natural part of the sentence. My brother, who loves chess, joined the club.
Dashes are stronger and more dramatic. My brother, and this surprised us all, joined the club uses commas. With dashes it becomes My brother–and this surprised us all–joined the club, which sounds more abrupt (the double hyphen stands in for an em dash).
Parentheses play the interrupter down, like a quiet aside. My brother (who loves chess) joined the club.
Brackets are mostly used inside quotations to show that the writer, not the original speaker, added the words.

Whichever you choose, keep it consistent within a sentence. For a wider look at how marks shape meaning, see the importance of punctuation in reading.

The Removal Test

To check whether you need the punctuation, remove the interrupter.

If the sentence still makes complete sense and keeps its meaning, the element is nonessential, so set it off with punctuation.
If removing it changes the meaning or leaves the sentence incomplete, the element is essential. Do not set it off.

Compare:

Students who finish early may leave. (essential: only those students may leave)
Students, who finish early, may leave. (nonessential: all students finish early and may leave, which changes the meaning)

Common Mistakes

Using only one comma. An interrupter in the middle of a sentence needs a comma on both sides. Wrong: The manager, as you know was late. Right: The manager, as you know, was late.
Setting off essential information. The book, that I borrowed, is lost is usually written without commas: The book that I borrowed is lost.
Mishandling however. Between two complete sentences, use a semicolon before it: It rained; however, we went out. Inside one sentence, use commas around it.
Mixing marks. Do not open with a dash and close with a comma.

Polite Phrases for Interrupting Someone in Conversation

Interrupting in speech is a different use of the word, but it is a common question. In most settings it helps to be brief and courteous. Some options:

“Sorry to interrupt, but…”
“May I add something here?”
“If I could just jump in for a moment…”
“Excuse me, could I ask a quick question?”
“Pardon me, may I make a quick point?”

Short words and phrases such as excuse me, pardon me, sorry and one moment are the most common ways to signal that you want to speak. Tone and timing matter as much as the exact words.

Practice

Add commas, dashes or parentheses where needed.

My cousin who lives in Toronto is visiting us.
The report however was incomplete.
Pencils not pens should be used for the test.
We will I hope finish before noon.
The students who forgot their books must stay after class. (Think about whether the clause is essential.)

Answers

My cousin, who lives in Toronto, is visiting us. (Assumes you have only one cousin, so the clause is extra information. If you have several cousins and who lives in Toronto tells us which one, no commas.)
The report, however, was incomplete.
Pencils, not pens, should be used for the test.
We will, I hope, finish before noon. (Dashes or parentheses also work.)
No commas: the clause tells us which students must stay, so it is essential.

Once you can spot interrupters, you can also use them to improve your editing. Try the sentence correction exercises for more practice.