400
A writer could call a rock formation by many words--a stone, a boulder, an outcropping, a pile of rocks, a cairn, a mound, or even an "anomalous geological feature." The analytical reader then faces tough questions. Why that particular choice of words? What is the effect of that _____? The word choice a writer makes determines the reader's reaction to the object of description, and contributes to the author's style and tone.
What is diction?