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Expository Essay Examples for Middle and High School
When you write an expository essay, you are explaining something to your audience. It is different from technical writing (also known as process essays), which explains how to do or use a product. Expository writing is also different from argumentative writing, which is meant to convince the audience to agree with the writer’s perspective. News articles are good examples of expository writing, as are any pieces that focus on the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).

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Types of Expository Essays
Even though expository essays are meant to inform, they can serve different purposes depending on the writer’s objective. Here are the four different kinds of expository essays.
Cause and Effect: The writer details the reasons for an event or situation before discussing the effect(s). These essays are common in literary essays or social studies reports.
Problem and Solution: After identifying a problem in today’s world, the writer poses a possible solution. The problem/solution essay is similar to the cause/effect essay. It can become an argumentative essay depending on the writer’s tone.
Descriptive: A descriptive essay requires the writer to describe something in their own words. The topic can be an event from the writer’s own life, a relationship in a book, or a significant moment in history. Though the essay can be from the writer’s perspective, it does not tell a story like in narrative writing.
Compare and Contrast: How is this different than that? A compare and contrast essay takes two subjects and explains how they are similar and different. It is a more analytical version of a descriptive essay.
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Expository Essay Format
Expository essays typically follow the standard five-paragraph format. After you outline the three main points of your essay, you’re ready to start writing. Your essay should include these sections:
Introduction: Start with a “hook” to get your reader’s attention. In one or two sentences, transition to a strong thesis statement to tell your reader what the essay will be about (but don’t start with “My essay will be about….”).
Body: Each of body paragraphs typically start with a topic sentence that directly links to the thesis statement. Discuss different information in each paragraph, leading up to your most compelling or relevant point. Be sure to include quotes from credible sources along with insightful commentary. End with transition sentences that introduce your next topic sentence.
Conclusion: Restate your thesis statement before making a broader statement about your topic. Do not introduce new information here; if you didn’t cover a point in your body paragraphs, you may not need it in the essay.
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Middle School Expository Essay Example
It’s helpful to see the format and structure of expository essays at different levels. Here is one example of how a middle schooler may write a compare and contrast essay about two characters in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry and Draco: Not As Different as They Seem
Whether you’re sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, your background and behavior tells a lot about who you are. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone are in opposite houses, and at times they seem like opposite characters. Even though Harry and Draco appear different in every way, readers can see how alike these two rivals really are.
The first difference between Harry and Draco is their upbringing. Harry was raised by Muggles (non-magical people), while Draco comes from an elite wizarding family that hates Muggles. When the boys meet for the first time, Draco talks about whether Muggle-born wizards should even attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
“I really don’t think they should let the other sort in, do you? They’re just not the same, they’ve never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.” (Rowling 61)
Harry doesn’t respond to Draco’s comment. Even though Harry is from an “old wizarding family” like Draco’s, he is one of those people who had not heard of Hogwarts because of his Muggle upbringing. Draco’s negative opinion about families he believes to be “lower” than his family creates his first conflict with Harry.
The way that Draco and Harry treat people from other backgrounds is another difference between them. On the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Draco meet again, this time with Ron Weasley. Harry makes friends with Ron, while Draco immediately insults him.