diff --git a/lib/src/abstract/Cat.gf b/lib/src/abstract/Cat.gf
index 0a1cebaf4..7c4bcf3f9 100644
--- a/lib/src/abstract/Cat.gf
+++ b/lib/src/abstract/Cat.gf
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 -- implementation in all languages in the resource (typically,
 -- just a string). These categories are
 -- $AdA, AdN, AdV, Adv, Ant, CAdv, IAdv, PConj, Phr$, 
--- $Pol, SC, Tense, Text, Utt, Voc$.
+-- $Pol, SC, Tense, Text, Utt, Voc, Interj$.
 --
 -- Moreover, the list categories $ListAdv, ListAP, ListNP, ListS$
 -- are defined on $Conjunction$ and only used locally there.
diff --git a/lib/src/abstract/Common.gf b/lib/src/abstract/Common.gf
index 773cc4a75..12c810514 100644
--- a/lib/src/abstract/Common.gf
+++ b/lib/src/abstract/Common.gf
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ abstract Common = {
 
 -- Constructed in [``Phrase`` Phrase.html]:
 
-    Phr ;   -- phrase in a text                    e.g. "but be quiet please"
-    Utt ;   -- sentence, question, word...         e.g. "be quiet"
-    Voc ;   -- vocative or "please"                e.g. "my darling"
-    PConj ; -- phrase-beginning conjunction        e.g. "therefore"
+    Phr ;    -- phrase in a text                   e.g. "but be quiet please"
+    Utt ;    -- sentence, question, word...        e.g. "be quiet"
+    Voc ;    -- vocative or "please"               e.g. "my darling"
+    PConj ;  -- phrase-beginning conjunction       e.g. "therefore"
+    Interj ; -- interjection                       e.g. "alas"
 
 -- Constructed in [``Sentence`` Sentence.html]:
 
diff --git a/lib/src/abstract/Lexicon.gf b/lib/src/abstract/Lexicon.gf
index 9017f2101..07e401137 100644
--- a/lib/src/abstract/Lexicon.gf
+++ b/lib/src/abstract/Lexicon.gf
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ abstract Lexicon = Cat ** {
 fun
   add_V3 : V3 ;
   airplane_N : N ;
+  alas_Interj : Interj ;
   already_Adv : Adv ;
   animal_N : N ;
   answer_V2S : V2S ;
diff --git a/lib/src/abstract/Phrase.gf b/lib/src/abstract/Phrase.gf
index 0951f4ae6..84af913e8 100644
--- a/lib/src/abstract/Phrase.gf
+++ b/lib/src/abstract/Phrase.gf
@@ -23,17 +23,18 @@ abstract Phrase = Cat ** {
 -- Moreover, in many languages e.g. noun phrases in different cases
 -- can be used.
 
-    UttIP   : IP   -> Utt ;                 -- who
-    UttIAdv : IAdv -> Utt ;                 -- why
-    UttNP   : NP   -> Utt ;                 -- this man
-    UttAdv  : Adv  -> Utt ;                 -- here
-    UttVP   : VP   -> Utt ;                 -- to sleep
-    UttCN   : CN   -> Utt ;                 -- house
-    UttCard : Card -> Utt ;                 -- five
-    UttAP   : AP   -> Utt ;                 -- fine
+    UttIP     : IP   -> Utt ;               -- who
+    UttIAdv   : IAdv -> Utt ;               -- why
+    UttNP     : NP   -> Utt ;               -- this man
+    UttAdv    : Adv  -> Utt ;               -- here
+    UttVP     : VP   -> Utt ;               -- to sleep
+    UttCN     : CN   -> Utt ;               -- house
+    UttCard   : Card -> Utt ;               -- five
+    UttAP     : AP   -> Utt ;               -- fine
+    UttInterj : Interj -> Utt ;             -- alas
 
 -- The phrasal conjunction is optional. A sentence conjunction
--- can also used to prefix an utterance.
+-- can also be used to prefix an utterance.
 
     NoPConj   : PConj ;                      
     PConjConj : Conj -> PConj ;             -- and
diff --git a/lib/src/common/CommonX.gf b/lib/src/common/CommonX.gf
index 3cee26a12..3052a0649 100644
--- a/lib/src/common/CommonX.gf
+++ b/lib/src/common/CommonX.gf
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
 concrete CommonX of Common = open (R = ParamX) in {
 
   lincat
-    Text = {s : Str} ; --lock_Text : {}} ;
-    Phr = {s : Str} ; --lock_Phr : {}} ;
-    Utt = {s : Str} ; --lock_Utt : {}} ;
-    Voc = {s : Str} ; --lock_Voc : {}} ;
-    SC  = {s : Str} ; --lock_SC : {}} ;
-    Adv = {s : Str} ; --lock_Adv : {}} ;
-    AdV = {s : Str} ; --lock_AdV : {}} ;
-    AdA = {s : Str} ; --lock_AdA : {}} ;
-    AdN = {s : Str} ; --lock_AdN : {}} ;
-    IAdv = {s : Str} ; --lock_IAdv : {}} ;
-    CAdv = {s,p : Str} ; --lock_CAdv : {}} ;
-    PConj = {s : Str} ; --lock_PConj : {}} ;
+    Text = {s : Str} ; 
+    Phr = {s : Str} ; 
+    Utt = {s : Str} ; 
+    Voc = {s : Str} ; 
+    SC  = {s : Str} ; 
+    Adv = {s : Str} ; 
+    AdV = {s : Str} ; 
+    AdA = {s : Str} ; 
+    AdN = {s : Str} ; 
+    IAdv = {s : Str} ; 
+    CAdv = {s,p : Str} ; 
+    PConj = {s : Str} ; 
+    Interj = {s : Str} ; 
 
     Temp  = {s : Str ; t : R.Tense ; a : R.Anteriority} ;
     Tense = {s : Str ; t : R.Tense} ;
diff --git a/lib/src/english/LexiconEng.gf b/lib/src/english/LexiconEng.gf
index 3d0147e4b..7164f227f 100644
--- a/lib/src/english/LexiconEng.gf
+++ b/lib/src/english/LexiconEng.gf
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ flags
 
 lin
   airplane_N = regN "airplane" ;
+  alas_Interj = ss "alas" ;
   answer_V2S = mkV2S (mkV "answer" "answered") toP ;
   apartment_N = regN "apartment" ;
   apple_N = regN "apple" ;
diff --git a/lib/src/english/ParadigmsEng.gf b/lib/src/english/ParadigmsEng.gf
index 854c350c7..d458f8b69 100644
--- a/lib/src/english/ParadigmsEng.gf
+++ b/lib/src/english/ParadigmsEng.gf
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ oper
 -- Prepositions are used in many-argument functions for rection.
 -- The resource category $Prep$ is used.
 
+-- The number of a noun phrase can be extracted with the following
+-- function.
+
+  npNumber : NP -> Number ;
 
 
 --2 Nouns
@@ -341,6 +345,8 @@ mkSubj : Str -> Subj = \s -> lin Subj {s = s} ;
   nominative = Nom ;
   genitive = Gen ;
 
+  npNumber np = (fromAgr np.a).n ;
+
   Preposition : Type = Str ; -- obsolete
 
   regN = \ray -> 
diff --git a/lib/src/english/PhraseEng.gf b/lib/src/english/PhraseEng.gf
index 5241a5709..cee682fc4 100644
--- a/lib/src/english/PhraseEng.gf
+++ b/lib/src/english/PhraseEng.gf
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ concrete PhraseEng of Phrase = CatEng ** open Prelude, ResEng in {
     UttCN n = {s = n.s ! Sg ! Nom} ;
     UttCard n = {s = n.s ! Nom} ;
     UttAP ap = {s = ap.s ! agrP3 Sg} ;
+    UttInterj i = i ;
 
     NoPConj = {s = []} ;
     PConjConj conj = {s = conj.s2} ; ---