1. **State the problem:** Expand the expression $x + x^2$. 2. **Recall the expansion rule:** When expanding, we distribute terms if there are parentheses or combine like terms if possible. 3. **Analyze the expression:** Here, $x + x^2$ is already a sum of two terms: $x$ and $x^2$. 4. **Expand or simplify:** Since there are no parentheses to distribute over, the expression is already expanded. 5. **Final answer:** The expanded form of $x + x^2$ is simply $x + x^2$. This expression cannot be simplified further because the terms are unlike (different powers of $x$).