Vocabulary to create effects
Vocabulary can be used to influence the way a reader feels about a scene or topic. By selecting words carefully you can create the atmosphere your scene requires or the tone your article needs.
For example, in a ghost story, you might select vocabulary to create a sense of fear:
Bats swooped dangerously close to my head as the haunting outline of the moon glared over the silhouette of the gravestones. The stench of decay hung in the damp night air, as a warning to those who dared to enter.
Here the vocabulary choices imply a feeling of danger and create a sinister tone. The language is lively and precise, full of energy to enliven the scene.
Notice how in this second piece, also set in a churchyard, a positive mood is created:
Doves soared overhead as we bustled from the church doorway. The clouds parted for the beaming sun that warmed the backs of the guests. Confetti and the scent of perfumed flowers filled the air; laughter twirled like ribbons around the bride and groom.
By making careful vocabulary choices, you can create the mood to draw the reader emotionally into your story.
A similar approach can be used for non-fiction writing where your vocabulary choices will affect the tone and mood of the piece you write.
Here are examples of different settings, and moods with sample sentences:
| Setting | Mood | Example vocabulary |
| City | Happy | A bright sun glinted from the skyscraper windows⊠|
| Jungle | Sad | The baboonsâ plaintive cries pierced our hearts⊠|
| Desert | Determined | The sand burned, the dust stung; but we marched on regardless⊠|
| Mountains | Hopeful | Small white cloudlets hovered so close to our heads we felt we could touch them⊠|
| Beach | Excited | Crabs scuttled hither and thither, children squealed in delight⊠|
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Mood | Happy |
| Example vocabulary | A bright sun glinted from the skyscraper windows⊠|
| Setting | Jungle |
|---|---|
| Mood | Sad |
| Example vocabulary | The baboonsâ plaintive cries pierced our hearts⊠|
| Setting | Desert |
|---|---|
| Mood | Determined |
| Example vocabulary | The sand burned, the dust stung; but we marched on regardless⊠|
| Setting | Mountains |
|---|---|
| Mood | Hopeful |
| Example vocabulary | Small white cloudlets hovered so close to our heads we felt we could touch them⊠|
| Setting | Beach |
|---|---|
| Mood | Excited |
| Example vocabulary | Crabs scuttled hither and thither, children squealed in delight⊠|
Things to remember
- Get into the habit of using a A book that lists synonyms (words that have similar meanings) - useful for expanding your vocabulary..
- Experiment with different words in your writing.
- Keep a word journal to collect new words.
- List or mind-map your key vocabulary choices at the planning stage of your writing.
- Read back over your work to check your vocabulary choices. Are the words ambitious AND do they âfitâ with the style of writing?
- Check that you havenât accidentally repeated words in nearby sentences.