Avoid These Common Mistakes: Top Errors That Lower Scores

The 10 Most Common Mistakes Year 6 Writers Make (And How to Fix Them)

Why This Matters

Here's the thing about the selective writing test: Most students lose marks for the same 5-10 mistakes.

These aren't mysterious errors. They're preventable. With a simple checklist, your child can catch most of them in the review phase.

Mistake #1: Going Off-Topic (The Score Killer)

What it is: Writing something that doesn't answer the prompt correctly

Why it's bad: Going off-topic is heavily penalized. A well-written but off-topic piece might drop from Band 6 to Band 3.

Real example:

• Prompt: "Write a newspaper report about an incident at the beach"
• Student wrote: A creative story about swimming at the beach
• Problem: It was a story, not a report. Immediate mark drop.

How to prevent it:

1. Read the prompt AT LEAST twice
2. Circle the key instruction: "Write a _" (story/email/report/speech)
3. Check: "Am I supposed to be writing to persuade, inform, or entertain?"
4. Before you start writing, state your understanding: "I'm writing a _ about _"

The test:

• Does every sentence relate to the prompt?
• Did I include everything the prompt asked for?
• Is it in the right format/genre?

If the answer is NO to any of these, you're off-topic.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Required Elements

What it is: The prompt lists things to include, but you skip some

Why it's bad: You're not fully answering the question. Marks dropped for incomplete response.

Real example:

• Prompt: "Write an email pitching a superhero. Include: appearance, powers, and why audiences would love it."
• Student wrote: A great description of the appearance and powers, but forgot why audiences would love it.
• Problem: One-third of requirements missing. Content marks suffer.

How to prevent it:

1. Make a checklist of requirements from the prompt
2. Check them off as you write (or after)
3. Before finishing: "Did I cover everything?"

Quick checklist template:

REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST
☐ Requirement 1 from prompt
☐ Requirement 2 from prompt
☐ Requirement 3 from prompt
☐ In the right format (story/email/report)
☐ Includes main idea
☐ Has introduction and conclusion

Mistake #3: No Clear Ending or Abrupt Ending

What it is: The writing just stops, or there's no proper conclusion

Why it's bad: Markers award structure marks. No ending = lost structure marks.

Real example:

• Student wrote: "So the superhero saved the city and everyone was happy. The End."
• BUT this took 25 minutes, and they had no time to review.

Other example:

• Story just stops mid-sentence because time ran out.

How to prevent it:

1. Plan a conclusion before you write (even if it's just 1-2 sentences)
2. Allocate time for ending (reserve 2-3 minutes at the end to write closing)
3. Check the time - At 25 minutes, start wrapping up
4. Always finish - Even if it's rushed, a conclusion is better than nothing

What a proper ending looks like:

• For a story: The problem is resolved, OR something has changed
• For a report: Summary of key facts OR impact statement
• For an email: Call to action OR final thought
• For advice: Encouraging final words OR summary

Mistake #4: One Giant Paragraph (No Paragraphing)

What it is: Everything is crammed into one huge paragraph

Why it's bad: Hard to read. Markers lose the organization. Looks messy.

How to prevent it:

1. Hit Enter when you start a new idea (or new section of time)
2. One main idea per paragraph
3. Indent or space paragraphs (easier to read)

Simple rule: Every new speaker, new place, new time, or new idea = new paragraph.

Before

The student woke up early and got dressed quickly. She ate breakfast and packed her bag. As she walked to school she felt nervous. When she arrived her friends were already there. They were excited about the test. She realized she had studied well.

After

The student woke up early and got dressed quickly. She ate breakfast and packed her bag.

As she walked to school, she felt nervous. When she arrived, her friends were already there. They were excited about the test.

She realized she had studied well. Her preparation was worth it.

See the difference? Easier to follow.

Mistake #5: Repetitive Language

What it is: Using the same words or phrases constantly

Why it's bad: Sounds boring. Markers see: vocabulary = limited.

Real example:

"The character was sad. Her friend was sad. Even the dog was sad. It was a sad day."

How to prevent it:

1. After writing, scan for repeated words
2. Highlight the word each time it appears
3. Replace at least half of the repeats

Common culprits:

• "And then... and then... and then" (use: meanwhile, later, suddenly)
• "Said... said... said" (use: whispered, exclaimed, explained, admitted)
• "Very... very... very" (use: extremely, incredibly, remarkably)
• "Good... good... good" (use: excellent, impressive, outstanding)
• "The" at the start of every sentence (vary it)

Practice: Take any piece your child wrote. Count how many times they used "and then." I bet it's at least 5 times. Vary it!

Mistake #6: Run-On Sentences

What it is: Sentences that go on and on with no punctuation, or too many ideas crammed in

Why it's bad: Hard to read. Confusing. Marks dropped for sentence structure.

Real example:

"I woke up and I got dressed and I ate breakfast and I went to school and I was excited."

Another type:

"The character ran down the hallway, she was scared, and she didn't know where she was going, and her heart was pounding, and she could hear footsteps behind her."

How to prevent it:

1. Read a sentence aloud - Can you breathe in one sentence? Should be able to
2. If it feels too long, break it up
3. Avoid starting with "and" after a full stop (this is how run-ons happen)

Better version:

"I woke up excited. After getting dressed and eating breakfast, I hurried to school."

OR

"The character ran down the hallway, heart pounding, scared and unsure. Footsteps echoed behind her."

Rule of thumb: If you read it and feel rushed or confused, it's probably too long.

Mistake #7: Inconsistent Tense

What it is: Jumping between past and present tense randomly

Why it's bad: Confusing to read. Drops sentence structure marks.

Real example:

"The girl walked into the classroom. She is nervous. She sits down at her desk. She was worried about the test." (Jumping: walked → is → sits → was)

How to prevent it:

1. Decide on past or present at the start (most narratives use past)
2. Check each verb - Do they all match?
3. Common culprits: switching to present tense during dialogue

Quick fix - Most narratives should use PAST TENSE:

• "The girl walked..."
• "She was nervous..."
• "She sat down..."
• "She worried..."

Mistake #8: Common Spelling Mistakes (The Preventable Ones)

What it is: Misspelling words (especially ones they should know)

Why it's bad: Shows carelessness. Hurts technical marks.

The ones to watch for:

Also watch for:

• Lowercase "i" when it should be capital (I)
• Missing apostrophes in contractions (dont instead of don't)
• Words they often misspell (their own patterns)

How to prevent it:

1. Proofread specifically for these - Make it your focus
2. Know their pattern - Every kid has 2-3 words they constantly misspell
3. Create a personal list - "My spelling trouble words are..."
4. Check those specifically on test day

Mistake #9: Poor Structure (Disorganized Ideas)

What it is: Ideas jumping around with no logical order

Why it's bad: Hard to follow. Markers can't see the organization. Content mark drops.

Real example:

"The character loved adventure. His house was blue. He had a dog. One day he went exploring. He lived in a small town. The sky was cloudy. He found a treasure map."

(Ideas are all over the place!)

How to prevent it:

1. Plan before writing (outline with 3-4 main points)
2. Stick to the plan (don't add random details)
3. Use transitions (However, Meanwhile, Then, So)
4. Group related ideas together (all about the character, then all about the adventure)

Better version:

"The character loved adventure. He lived in a small town with his dog. One day, he found a treasure map and decided to explore. Despite the cloudy sky, he set off, searching for the treasure."

(Ideas flow logically now!)

Mistake #10: Forgetting to Proofread (Or Running Out of Time)

What it is: No review at the end, so obvious errors stay

Why it's bad: Preventable errors hurt the score.

How to prevent it:

1. Reserve 2-3 minutes for review - It's part of your time allocation
2. Don't skip this step - It's not wasting time; it's improving your score
3. Use the proofreading checklist (below)

Bonus Mistake: Using Text Speak or Too Casual Language

What it is: Writing "u r" instead of "you are" or being overly casual

Why it's bad: This is a test, not a text message. Markers penalize it.

How to prevent it:

1. Remind your child: Write in full words and proper sentences
2. No: "lol," "u," "ur," "gonna," "wanna" (unless in dialogue)
3. Yes: "you," "you are," "going to," "want to"

Your Proofreading Checklist

Use this in the review phase (last 2-3 minutes):

✓ FINAL PROOFREADING CHECKLIST ✓

□ Does the piece END properly? (not cut off mid-sentence)
□ Did I cover ALL requirements from the prompt?
□ Any words that don't make sense?
□ Obvious spelling errors? (especially: their/there/they're, its/it's, you're/your)
□ Every sentence starts with a CAPITAL letter?
□ Every sentence ends with a . ! or ?
□ Lowercase "i" fixed to capital I?
□ Repeated words I can vary?
□ Sentences that are too long and confusing?
□ Does the tone match the text type?
□ Tense is consistent (all past or all present)?

The Most Likely Errors Your Child Makes

Every student has a personal pattern. Figure out YOUR child's:

Ask yourself:

• Does my child often write "and then... and then..."?
• Do they forget to paragraph?
• Do they jump between past and present tense?
• Do they struggle with specific spelling words?
• Do they write overly long sentences?

Once you know their pattern, help them focus on those specific errors in practice.

Practice Strategy: Error Hunt

After every practice write:

1. Print it out (easier to spot errors on paper)
2. Highlight one type of error (e.g., all the run-on sentences)
3. Fix just that type
4. Celebrate the improvement - "You found 5 run-ons! That's progress!"

Do this for 2-3 weeks, and your child will naturally start catching errors while writing.

What Good Proofreading Looks Like

A student who:

• Reads their work aloud
• Spots 3-4 obvious errors
• Fixes them quickly
• Still has time to submit on time

That student will score higher than a student who doesn't proofread at all.

Proofreading is a skill. It improves with practice.

Parent's Role

1. Help identify their pattern - "I notice you often..."
2. Create a personal checklist - Focus on THEIR common errors
3. Make it a game - "Let's see how many run-ons we can find"
4. Celebrate catches - "You found your own mistake—great editing!"
5. Reinforce good habits - "You proofread! That's how you improve."

Bottom Line

Most errors are preventable. They're not about lack of intelligence. They're about:

• Not planning enough
• Rushing and not proofreading
• Not reading the prompt carefully
• Personal patterns (every student has them)

Your child can fix all of these with:

1. A solid process (plan, write, review)
2. Awareness of their personal errors
3. Practice with checklists
4. Regular proofreading

By test day, they'll automatically avoid most of these mistakes.

🎯 One less thing to worry about!

Download: Personal Error Tracker

Keep this handy:

🔍 MY PERSONAL ERROR TRACKER 🔍

The 3 mistakes I ALWAYS make:
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________

What to check for in every practice write:
□ Error #1 (what to look for: _______)
□ Error #2 (what to look for: _______)
□ Error #3 (what to look for: _______)

Example of this error: _____________
How to fix it: ____________________

PRACTICE GOAL:
By [DATE], I will catch my own errors before submitting.

Print this. Fill it out. Use it. It works!