Vocabulary to create a particular effect
Vocabulary can be used to change the way a reader feels about a scene. By changing just a few key words a setting can be made much more interesting to read. For example, a church might be a typical part of the setting of a ghost story. The vocabulary choices can be used to create a sense of fear for the reader.
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 that dared to enter.
Key vocabulary choices imply a feeling of danger and provide a sinister tone for the reader to create their own mental image. The language is lively and precise, full of energy to enliven the scene.
Notice how in this second piece, this completely changes to a different, now positive mood:
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 deliberate vocabulary choices, you can create the right mood that will draw the reader emotionally into the story.
Here is a table of words that suggest a mood and a setting. You could use these to help you think up your own when you plan a piece of writing.
| Setting | Mood | Example vocabulary |
| City | Happy | A bright sun glinted from the skyscraper windows… |
| Jungle | Sad | The baboons’ 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 baboons’ 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 thesaurus to experiment with different vocabulary within your writing.
- Make notes of useful key vocabulary choices when you plan your writing.
- Read back over your work to check over your vocabulary choices. Are the words ambitious AND do they ‘fit’ with the style of writing?
- Check that you haven’t accidentally repeated key words in nearby sentences.