Graders see the same 17 mistakes over and over. The good news is that most of them are easy to fix once you know what to look for.
They're ordered here the way they are in the video: the big ones that wreck your task score first, then the small ones that quietly cost you marks. For each one you get a real test-style example, the fix, and why it moves your score.
🎥 Watch: all 17, with before and after
Every mistake numbered 1 to 17, in the same order as this page, so you can watch and read side by side. Each one gets a full test-style example, the fix, and the result.
Also worth watching:
This video covers a formatting mistake that is not in the 17 list (it's called 4.5 in this page) and can put a finished looking answer under the word minimum.
Mistake 1 — Missing task points
The problem. Every Task 1 prompt gives you three things to cover. People answer part of it and stop.
❌ Before
Dear Manager, I am writing because the elevator in our building has been broken again for a week. It is very frustrating for everyone. Please fix it soon. Thank you.
Sounds fine. But it describes the problem and nothing else, it never says who is affected, and "please fix it soon" isn't a real request. Two of the three points are missing. The grader cannot tick them off.
✅ After
The elevator in the north tower has been out of service for a week. Because of this, residents on the upper floors, including several seniors, are struggling to carry groceries up the stairs. Could you please send a technician this week and post a repair date in the lobby?
The fix. Take each prompt bullet and give it its own sentence with a detail. Now all three are covered: the problem, the impact, the request, and the grader ticks every box.
Mistake 2 — Wrong word count
The problem. You want roughly 150–200 words on both tasks. Under 150 you lose marks for length. Well over 200 you start to ramble and make more errors. Most people write too short without realising it.
❌ Before (about 40 words)
I am writing about the bus service on Route 9. The buses are often late and it causes problems for passengers. I hope you can improve the service soon. Thank you for your time.
Reads fine — but it's less than a third of what you need, with no real detail.
✅ After
I am writing about repeated delays on Route 9 during the evening rush. Buses are arriving 15 to 20 minutes late, which means commuters miss their connections at the central station and get home well after dark. Could you please add two buses during peak hours and post live arrival times at the main stops?
The fix. Don't pad with filler, add specifics: a time, a number, an impact, a request. If you're too long, do the reverse: cut repetition, one idea per paragraph.
Mistake 3 — Wrong tone
The problem. This one is sneaky because it colours every sentence you write — and it runs in both directions.
Too casual
❌ Before
Hi there, just wanted to say the noise from the construction is really getting on everyone's nerves. Can you guys sort it out? Thanks a lot!
A grader reads "you guys" and "sort it out" and concludes this person doesn't know how a formal email sounds. That caps your score.
✅ After
Hello, I'm writing about the ongoing construction noise on our street. It's been disturbing residents late into the evening. Could you please limit the work to daytime hours?
Too formal — the mistake strong writers make
❌ Before — writing to a neighbour who has already dog-sat for you:
Dear Mr. Smith, I am writing to formally submit a request regarding the temporary custody of my dog. The rationale for my upcoming departure is a visit to my elderly parents… Kindly confirm your availability at your earliest convenience.
Perfect grammar. Every bullet covered. Correct structure. And it still fails, because rationale, aforementioned, encompass and kindly confirm at your earliest convenience are business-letter English aimed at a friend.
✅ After
Hi John, hope you're having a great week! I'm reaching out because I'm heading over to Halifax next month to check in on my elderly parents… Let me know if this works for you. Absolutely no pressure if you're too busy. Cheers, Matthew
The fix. Decide formal or informal before you write a word, and keep it consistent from greeting to sign-off. Graders mark appropriateness in both directions.
→ Full breakdown in Lesson 4 — Task 1 Essentials.
Mistake 4 — Broken email structure
The problem. Task 1 is always an email, so the shape matters as much as the words.
A strong email has five parts: a greeting · a purpose line · a body with one short paragraph per prompt bullet · a clear ask with a next step · a sign-off.
❌ Before
Hello, I want to talk about the noise problem in our building. It is really bad and I don't like it. Something should be done about this. Kind regards, David.
There's a greeting and a sign-off, but no clear purpose, no developed bullets, no examples, and no specific request. An email skeleton with no body.
✅ After
Hello,
I'm writing about the late-night construction noise on 3rd Avenue.
The drilling continues past 11 p.m., which is waking residents on the lower floors. Several seniors on the fifth floor have told me they're exhausted and can't sleep.
Could you please limit the work to daytime hours and post the construction schedule in the lobby?
Kind regards,
David
The fix. Build the body around the bullets, not around "two reasons." Every prompt gives three tasks and the grader checks all three. Structure your body around them and it becomes almost impossible to miss one.
Mistake 4.5: Formatting that eats your word count
The problem. A To line, a From line, a subject line, a date, a mailing address and a full signature block can add fifty words to your email without answering any part of the question. Paragon's published instructions name all of these as unnecessary.
❌ Before
An answer showing 192 words on the counter, of which 51 are format. The part actually answering the question is 141 words, which is below the 150 minimum. It looks finished and it is not.
✅ After
The same email with the format removed reads 141 on the counter. That number is honest, and it leaves you time to build the answer up to 170 or 180 with real detail.
The fix. Start at the greeting. End at your name. No address, no phone number, no job title. A made up name is fine.
Format is scored on three things only: paragraphs, capital letters and punctuation.
Mistake 5 — Weak survey response
The problem. Task 2 gives you two options and asks you to pick one and defend it. The number-one mistake is not picking a side.
❌ Before
Both the library and the sports complex are good ideas for our city. A library helps students, and a sports complex helps people stay healthy. The city should think carefully before deciding.
It sounds balanced and reasonable, and there's nothing to grade. Graders need a position.
✅ After
The city should build the new library. First, it gives students and job-seekers a free, quiet place to study and use the internet — something many can't afford at home. Second, a library serves every age group, from kids at story time to seniors taking computer classes, while a sports complex mainly serves the athletic. A library benefits more of the community.
The fix. Choice in line one → reason A with an example → reason B with an example → optionally a brief nod to the other side. Never "both are good." And no greeting or sign-off, because it isn't an email.
Mistake 6 — Punctuation slips
The problem. The comma splice, joining two complete sentences with only a comma.
❌ Before
The renovation started last month, it has caused constant noise and dust for the residents.
Both halves could stand alone. A comma can't hold them together.
✅ Three fixes — pick any one
The renovation started last month, and it has caused constant noise and dust." — add a joining word
"The renovation started last month. It has caused constant noise and dust." — two sentences
"The renovation started last month; it has caused constant noise and dust." — semicolon
Lists. When you list three or more things, put a comma before the final and:
To process your request, we need your name, unit number, and move-in date.
Use it consistently.
Mistake 7 — Articles & prepositions
The problem. a, an, the, and small linking words like on, at, in. If English isn't your first language, this is where quiet marks disappear.
❌ Before
Please send technician to repair elevator in north tower before end of week.
Understandable, but it reads as non-native.
✅ After
Please send a technician to repair the elevator in the north tower before the end of the week.
The fix. For articles: a/an = first mention or not specific; the = specific or already known.
For prepositions, stop trying to reason out a rule mid-sentence, learn the natural pairs: on the bus · at the stop · in winter · during rush hour. Native speakers memorised these; so can you. These are some of the fastest marks you will ever pick up.
Mistake 8 — Run-on sentences
The problem. Chaining idea after idea without stopping.
❌ Before
The route was changed last month and it caused a lot of delays and now many passengers are missing their transfers and everyone is very frustrated about the situation.
One breath, four ideas, all glued together with and.
✅ After
The route changed last month. Since then, buses have been arriving late. As a result, passengers are missing transfers and losing patience.
The fix. Mix your lengths: short, short, longer. That rhythm tells a grader you're in control of your ideas rather than dumping them. The connectors that do the heavy lifting: because, so, although, as a result, for example. One per paragraph, maybe two.
Mistake 9 — Repeating words
The problem. One word keeps coming back and your writing goes flat.
❌ Before
The delays are a big problem for everyone. This problem happens every day, and it is a serious problem that needs to be fixed.
Problem repeated three times in two sentences.
✅ After
The delays are a serious concern for commuters. Every evening, buses run late enough that riders miss their connections and get home after dark.
The fix. Vary the word and get specific. Instead of saying it's serious, show why. Same goes for vague filler like very, things, stuff. Don't write "very bad delays happen a lot." Write "buses arrive 15 minutes late during rush hour, so riders miss their transfers."
→ Full swap lists in Lesson 7 — Vocabulary for Precision.
Mistake 10 — Over-using linking words
The problem. People think stuffing in moreover, furthermore, therefore and consequently sounds advanced. It does the opposite.
❌ Before
Moreover, the buses are frequently late. Furthermore, this causes significant delays. Therefore, passengers are affected. Consequently, action must be taken immediately.
That reads like a robot. No real person writes an email like that.
✅ After
The buses are often late because of the construction on Main Street. As a result, passengers are missing their morning connections.
The fix. Master four connectors: because, so, for example, as a result, and use them once or twice a paragraph. That alone can lift you a full band.
Mistake 11 — Claims with no proof
The problem. You state something and never back it up.
❌ Before
The bus service is unreliable and it makes life difficult for commuters. This is a serious issue that affects many people in our community.
Every sentence is an opinion. When are the buses late? How late? Who does it hurt?
✅ After
On weekday evenings, Route 9 arrives 15 to 20 minutes late. Because of that, students miss the 6:10 shuttle to campus and wait another hour in the cold.
The fix. One small concrete detail per reason: a time, a place, a number. A claim on its own earns you task coverage; the example is what moves your score up.
Mistake 12 — No paragraphs
The problem. The whole response written as one solid block.
❌ Before
I am writing to report the delays on Route 9 during rush hour the buses take almost 45 minutes instead of 25 and this means students miss their transfer to campus so could you please add a peak-hour bus and post live updates at the stops.
There are genuinely good ideas in there, but the grader has to reread it just to sort out what's what.
✅ After
I'm writing to report repeated delays on Route 9.
During rush hour, the trip now takes 45 minutes instead of 25. This means students miss the transfer to campus.
Could you please add one peak-hour bus and post live arrival times at the stops?
The fix. Three to five short paragraphs, one idea each, topic sentence first. Every time you move to a new prompt bullet, hit Enter twice. Same words, but the structure is now obvious at a glance, and that visual clarity is worth real marks.
Mistake 13 — Copying the prompt
The problem. Using the question's wording straight into your answer.
❌ Before
In my opinion, the city should improve public transportation. There are many ways to improve public transportation that would help everyone.
Improve public transportation twice, word-for-word. Graders notice instantly, and it signals you haven't processed the task.
✅ After
In my opinion, the city should make its buses faster and more reliable. Shorter wait times and dedicated lanes would encourage more people to leave their cars at home.
The fix. Paraphrase: swap the nouns and verbs, or change the structure. Same idea, but in your own words, and you've shown you understand what you're proposing.
Mistake 14 — Trusting spellcheck
The problem. Spellcheck catches typos but is blind to homophones.
❌ Before — every word spelled correctly, so spellcheck stays silent:
There delays effect a lot of riders, and its there responsibility to fix it.
There, effect, its and there are all wrong.
✅ After
The delays affect a lot of riders, and it's their responsibility to fix them.
The fix. In your last two minutes, read your response out loud in your head. The pairs to watch: there / their / they're · affect / effect · its / it's · to / too / two.
Mistake 15 — Mixed spelling
The problem. Canadian in one line, American in the next.
❌ Before
Our neighbourhood needs a new community center, and the council should honor its promise to build one.
Neighbourhood is Canadian; center and honor are American.
✅ After
Our neighbourhood needs a new community centre, and the council should honour its promise to build one.
The fix. Pick one set and stay with it. Canadian forms are a sensible default if you know them, and they are worth learning for life in Canada, but CELPIP does not require them. Paragon's published material never asks for Canadian spelling, and one of their own marked sample answers writes a time in a non-Canadian way with an examiner note saying it costs nothing.
What is scored is readability, and mixing forms inside one answer is a readability problem whichever set you started from.
Same idea with capital letters: sentence starts and proper names, nothing else.
→ Full patterns in Lesson 15 — Canadian Writing Conventions.
Mistake 16 — Tense & agreement
The problem. Verbs that don't match their subjects, or tenses that jump for no reason.
❌ Before
The buses is often late in the morning, and yesterday the drivers was confused about the new schedule.
Buses is plural but paired with is. Drivers is plural but paired with was.
✅ After
The buses are often late in the morning, and yesterday the drivers were confused about the new schedule.
The fix. Match plural subjects to plural verbs, and keep one tense unless the time genuinely changes. A quick fix that instantly sounds more polished.
Mistake 17 — Weak endings
The problem. The response trails off instead of landing.
❌ Before
I hope you will look into this matter. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Polite, but empty; it asks for nothing specific.
✅ After (email)
Please confirm the repair date by this Friday so residents can plan accordingly.
✅ After (survey)
While a fare cut would help some riders, dedicated bus lanes solve the real problem for everyone.
The fix. Emails end with a real request and a timeframe. Surveys end with a one-line summary that restates your position. The ending is the last thing a grader reads; make it land.
The 5-point check before you submit
Run this every single time.
1. Every task point covered. Email: all three bullets, each developed. Survey: a crystal-clear choice.
2. Word count. Around 150–200. No filler, no repetition.
3. Tone and structure. Formal or informal; decided on purpose and consistent throughout. Paragraphs in place with blank lines between them.
4. Clean mechanics. Solid sentences, correct commas, articles and prepositions in order, verbs that agree.
5. One real example per reason. Not vague claims; actual times, numbers and places.
Five boxes. Check all five and you're looking at a strong CLB score.
Practise
- Spot the mistake. Take your last practice response and find which of the 17 appear in it. Most people find three or four.
- Fix the top three. Rewrite only those. Don't touch anything else.
- Resubmit it on CELPIP Writing Practice Test and compare the two scores. Seeing which fixes actually moved the number is worth more than reading this page twice.
