As the old man stood there he saw something coming across the moor, something which terrified him so that he lost his wits…There
was the long, gloomy tunnel down which he fled. And from what? A sheep-dog of the moor? Or a spectral hound, black, silent, and monstrous? Was there a human agency in the matter? Did the pale, watchful Barrymore know more than he cared to say? It was all dim and vague, but always there is the dark shadow of crime behind it. What do you notice about the style of this passage?
It is an example of informal writing.
The tone of the piece is conversational.
Doyle has avoided the use of descriptive language.
The sentences have different structures and lengths.
The sentences have different structures and lengths.
Explanation:
The sentences are all structured in different ways. For example, some sentences have ellipses like this one:
As the old man stood there he saw something coming across the moor, something which terrified him so that he lost his wits…
In addition, the sentences have varying complexities. Some sentences are very complex and others are simple. In addition, some sentences are simply question marks. Lastly, some are short as long as three words.
