what is the point of return in Ruby?

Using "return" is unnecessary if it is the last line to be executed in the method, since Ruby automatically returns the last evaluated expression.

You don't even need that final "mood", nor do you need those assignments in the IF statement.

def write_code(number_of_errors)
    if number_of_errors > 1
       "ERROR"
    else
       "No Problem"
    end  
end

puts write_code(10)

Output:

ERROR

return allows you to break out early:

def write_code(number_of_errors)
  return "No problem" if number_of_errors == 0
  badness = compute_badness(number_of_errors)
  "WHAT?!  Badness = #{badness}."
end

If number_of_errors == 0, then "No problem" will be returned immediately. At the end of a method, though, it's unnecessary, as you observed.

---

Edit: To demonstrate that return exits immediately, consider this function:

def last_name(name)
  return nil unless name
  name.split(/\s+/)[-1]
end

If you call this function as last_name("Antal S-Z"), it will return "S-Z". If you call it as last_name(nil), it returns nil. If return didn't abort immediately, it would try to execute nil.split(/\s+/)[-1], which would throw an error.