There are four primary types of essays: Narrative (telling a story), Descriptive (painting a picture), Expository (just the facts) and Persuasive (convince me). if someone was to write an essay on the destructive nature of hurricanes over the past decade, the first choice would likely be an Expository essay. However, if it is being written by someone who lived through many of the hurricanes in perhaps Florida, then a Descriptive essay could be a very interesting essay to read.