1. Descriptive Paragraph Sample
From the Novel The Life of Pi

2. A Descriptive Paragraph from The Life of Pi
Topic Sentence:
Mr. Satish Kumar had a most peculiar appearance.
Topic:
Controlling idea/main impression:
Mr. Satish Kumar
Peculiar

3. The First Sentence
The top of his head was bald and pointy, yet he had the most impressive jowls I have ever seen,

4. … and his narrow shoulders gave way to a massive stomach that looked like the base of a mountain, except that the mountain stood in thin air, for it stopped abruptly and disappeared horizontally into his pants.

5. ?
the base of a mountain …
disappeared horizontally into his pants

6. X
…looked like the base of a mountain, except that the mountain stood in thin air, for it stopped abruptly and disappeared horizontally into his pants.

7. …looked like the base of a mountain, except that the mountain stood in thin air, for it stopped abruptly and disappeared horizontally into his pants.
Warning!

8. …looked like the base of a mountain, except that the mountain stood in thin air, for it stopped abruptly and disappeared horizontally into his pants.
Warning!

9. It’s a mystery to me how his stick-like legs supported the weight above them, but they did, though they moved in surprising ways at times, as if his knees could bend in any direction.
Cover

10. His construction was geometric: he looked like two triangles, a small one and a larger one, balanced on two parallel lines.

11. But organic, quite warty actually, and with sprigs of black hair sticking out of his ears.

12. And friendly. His smile seemed to take up the whole base of his triangular head.

13. Conclusion sentence
How is this conclusion sentence different from ones we have seen so far?
Answer:
This paragraph is from a novel, and conclusion sentences in novels are often general statements that summarize the character of the person.

14. Extra information What can you say about Mr. Kumar’s personality?
What colour is Mr. Kumar’s hair?
What colour is Mr. Kumar’s shirt?
How tall is he?

15. Evaluation through description
Evaluative details are very important in descriptive paragraphs.
We usually evaluate via the words we choose, which make the reader feel something about our topic.
How is the author evaluating the topics in the following paragraphs?
What evidence can you provide for your answers?

16. Gandalf
Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his eyes were set like coals that could suddenly burst into fire.

17. Noun Group Review
Look again at the paragraph about Gandalf, and identify the noun groups.

18. How does this help the reader?
Gandalf
How does this help the reader?
Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his eyes were set like coals that could suddenly burst into fire.

19. Harry Potter
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.