Words That Set the Mood

A truly horrifying story establishes an eerie atmosphere right from the beginning. An effective writer
will send signals to the reader that the story will be scary and depressing using such vocabulary as
gloomy, somber, dreary, forbidding and creepy. You can also ascribe scary characteristics
to inanimate objects to heighten the mood. Buildings can appear intimidating and a forest can
look menacing.
Words That Evoke the Five Senses
A tale is even scarier when readers can see, hear, touch, taste and smell things in the story. A place
can exude an acrid, pungent or choking stench. The protagonist can hear strange clanking
sounds or a scary character can speak in a dark, steely, sepulchral, sibilant or guttural
voice. Use hues such as pitch-black and ebony to describe things that are dark. A drink or item of
food can taste sour, fetid, foul or rancid. Objects can feel slimy or grimy.

Words That Heighten Suspense
H. P. Lovecraft, a famous American horror novelist, wrote that the strongest kind of fear is fear of
the unknown. A writer can increase fear in a reader by not giving away every detail of a monster,
ghost or place. Establishing something as mysterious builds suspense, as the reader fills in the blanks
with his own imagination and desires to continue reading to find out more. Ambiguous descriptions,
such an amorphous creature, hazy air, opaque waters, tenebrous valley or unintelligible
sound create a disturbingly unfamiliar atmosphere for the reader.
Words That Show Fear
A scary story needs a protagonist frightened out of her wits. Words like horrified, horror-struck,
petrified, panic-stricken, appalled, witless and aghast will do; however, representing the
signs of a protagonist fears are even better. Perhaps she has droplets of sweat on her forehead,
her knees are knocking or she is trembling, quivering, shuddering, quailing or quaking.
You can describe her as transfixed or paralyzed in place.
Helpful Vocabulary for a murder / crime
HELPFUL VOCABULARY FOR MURDER / CRIME
Source :
http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/police-crime.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/police-vocabulary.htm
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
part of speech Meaning Example sentence
arrest
take into police control
My partner arrested the man who set fire to
verb the building.
assailant
noun
person who assaults or attacks Did you see the assailantrun away?
at large (on the
loose)
preposition +
adjective
not caught, running free
Im afraid that the man who robbed the
bank is still at large.
armed and
dangerous
adjective
is carrying a weapon and has a
violent background
Do not approach the thief if you see him. He
is considered armed and dangerous.
back-up
noun
police that are called in to
support or help
Were calling for back upnow that we know
she has a gun.
bail
noun
large amount of money that
someone pays as a promise to
appear in cour
Your husbands bail is posted at 20, 000
dollars.
baton (night stick)
noun
heavy stick that police use for
controlling crowds or defending
themselves
No, we dont carry guns. We only
have batons.
book someone
verb
register someone as a criminal
Were taking your brother down to the
station tobook him.
break into
verb
enter a residence, car, or
business illegally
Do you have any idea who would
have broken intoyour car?
burglar
noun
a person who breaks into a
home or business and steals
items
We think the burglar got in through your
chimney.
cell
noun
individual room in a jail/prison
Well have to keep you in acell until
someone comes to pay your bail.
convict
noun
a person who is doing (or
supposed to be doing) jailtime
Please be aware that there is a convict on
the loose.
cop/copper
noun
police officer (common slang) Did somebody here call the cops?
criminal record a file that lists all of the crimes a We dont allow anyone with a criminal
noun person has committed record into our country.
crime scene
noun
the place where a crime
happened
Please stay outside the yellow tape. This is
acrime scene.
cruiser (squad car)
noun
police car
Please step out of your vehicle and get into
the police cruiser.
(in) custody
noun
under police control
You will be happy to know that we have
taken the kidnapper into custody.
DUI/DWI
(Driving Under the
Influence/Driving while
Intoxicated). Driving after
drinking too much alcohol
Your record says that you have two
previous DUIs.
detective
noun
police officer responsible for
solving crime
The detective is going to ask you a few
questions about the mans appearance.
do time
verb + noun
receive punishment for a crime
by spending time in jail
You wont be required todo any time but
you will have to pay a fine.
domestic dispute
adjective + noun
argument/trouble in the
home(often leads to violence)
Weve had a number of calls reporting
adomestic dispute in your hotel room.
escape
verb
get away from a holding place
If you try to escape we will have to restrain
you with handcuffs.
felony
noun
a major crime (e.g. murder)
Murder is considered afelony and is
punishable by life in prison.
fine
noun
money that a person pays for
breaking a law
You can get charged a large fine
for speeding in a school zone.
fingerprints
noun
marks left by fingers that
identify a person
Were going to have to check your personal
belongings forfingerprints.
firearms
noun
weapons that shoot
It is illegal to carry
unregistered firearmssuch as rifles and
pistols.
gang
noun
a group of people often
associated with crime and drugs
Stay away from this area at night as there is
a lot ofgang activity.
guilty responsible for a crime, You will be considered innocent until you
adjective deserving of punishment are proven guilty.
handcuffs
noun
metal rings that attach to wrists
to keep criminals (or the
accused)from escaping
We put your boyfriend inhandcuffs, because
we saw him climbing through your window
and thought he was an intruder.
innocent
adjective
not responsible for the crime
Well believe you areinnocent when you
show us your receipt for the items in the
bag.
intruder
noun
a person who enters a home or
business illegally
Someone called to report an intruder on the
third floor.
jail (prison)
noun
a place where criminals are
confined
The guards will be patrolling the prison all
day long.
misdemeanor
noun
a minor crime (punishment is
usually a fine or less than one
year in jail)
Stealing a road sign is considered
amisdemeanor,but is punishable by a large
fine.
noise complaint
noun
a call to the police to complain
of disturbing noise (usually
music or a party)
Two of your neighbours have made a noise
complaint tonight.
partner noun
another officer that a policeman
drives and works with
Im going to get you to tell your story to
my partner.
patrol (on patrol)
verb
observe and protect an area
We always patrol the downtown core on
the weekends.
perpetrator
noun
person who committed the
crime
The perpetrator is still at large.
pickpocket
noun
a thief who steals from peoples
pockets in transit or in crowds
Beware of pickpocketson the subway.
pistol
noun
a hand held firearm
Our local cops carrypistols but rarely use
them.
pursuit
noun
the act of searching for
We are in pursuit of a man in a green jacket
and orange pants.
radar
noun/adjective
radio wave transmission that
helps police track cars and map
According to our radaryou were driving well
above the speed limit.
crime scenes
robbery
noun
theft; taking something that
does not belong to you, often
with force
We have twenty officers investigating the
bankrobbery.
speeding ticket
noun
a fine given to a driver who gets
caught driving beyond the speed
limit
Your license shows a clean driving record
except for one speeding ticketfrom five
years ago.
steal
verb
to take something that does not
belong to you
Do you know who stoleyour wallet?
street crime
noun
crime such as drugs and
prostitution
Dont give the beggars any money. You will
only be promoting street crime.
thief
noun
somebody who steals We have found the thiefwho stole your car.
walkie-talkie
noun
hand held radio each partner
carries
My partner told me your license plate over
hiswalkie-talkie.
wanted
adjective
being searched for by police
A man from your hotel is wanted for his
involvement in a murder.
witness
verb
to see something happen
Three people witnessedthe murder but they
are afraid to speak.
young offender
(juvenile
delinquent)
noun
a minor who commits a crime
(usually under age of 18)
Your punishment will be less severe because
you are a young offender.
Types of crime
Crime Definition
abduction/kidnapping taking a person to a secret location using force
armed robbery using a weapon to steal
arson setting fire to a place on purpose
assault hurting another person physically
attempted murder trying to kill someone (but failing)
burglary,
breaking and entering
going into another persons home or business with force
child abuse injuring a child on purpose
domestic violence physical assault that occur within the home
drug trafficking trading illegal drugs
drunk driving driving after having too much alcohol
fraud lying or cheating for business or monetary purposes
hijacking holding people in transit hostage (usually on a plane)
murder/homicide taking someones life through violence
shoplifting stealing merchandise from a store
smuggling bringing products into a country secretly and illegally
speeding driving beyond the speed limit
terrorism acts of crime against a group (political/religious) or another country
theft stealing
torture extremely cruel and unfair treatment (often towards prisoners)
vandalism damaging public or private property (for example with spray paint)
white collar crime breaking the law in business
Types of punishment
Punishment
(example offence) Definition
traffic ticket
(speeding, parking)
leaves marks on driving record/involves paying a fine
license suspension
(drunk driving)
driving rights are removed for a certain period of time
fine
(hunting out of season)
pay money as punishment for minor/petty crime
house arrest
(a young offender who is waiting to
go to court)
remain in ones home for a certain period of time
community service
(a youth that steals a car for the first
time)
do volunteer work such as teaching children about crime or
cleaning up garbage
jail time
(man who assaults his wife)
spend a certain amount of months or years locked away from
society
life in prison
(a woman who commits homicide)
spend the rest of ones life in prison with no chance of going
back into society

Sentences and Phrases for Descriptive and Narrative
Essays(To express Sadness)
1.Her eyes were filled with unshed tears

2.Cried my heart out

3.Her sobs muffled against me

4.The sadness that filled me was overwhelming and my vision was blurred by the tears that flowed
like rain down
my face.

5.incessant sobs

6.breaking down in tears

7.The weather changed abruptly,strong winds started howling,dark clouds blanketed the whole sky,all
these were followed by a heavy torrential downpour,as if Mother Nature had joined the somber
gathering to bid the
innocent boy goodbye.

8.Beads of tears rolled down my cheeks and seeped into my pillow

9.Tears welled out of her eyes