diff --git a/crates/specctra-core/src/common.rs b/crates/specctra-core/src/common.rs
index 96c070e..9a52ec4 100644
--- a/crates/specctra-core/src/common.rs
+++ b/crates/specctra-core/src/common.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ impl ListToken {
         if let Self::Leaf { value } = self {
             Ok(value)
         } else {
-            Err(ParseError::Expected("leaf value"))
+            Err(ParseError::ExpectedLeaf)
         }
     }
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ impl ListToken {
         if let Self::End = self {
             Ok(())
         } else {
-            Err(ParseError::Expected("end of list"))
+            Err(ParseError::ExpectedEndOfList)
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/specctra-core/src/error.rs b/crates/specctra-core/src/error.rs
index 849f0da..76abcbf 100644
--- a/crates/specctra-core/src/error.rs
+++ b/crates/specctra-core/src/error.rs
@@ -6,10 +6,16 @@ pub enum ParseError {
     Eof,
     #[error(transparent)]
     Io(#[from] std::io::Error),
+
     #[error("expected {0}")]
     Expected(&'static str),
-    #[error("expected ({0}")]
+    #[error("expected \"({0}\"")]
     ExpectedStartOfList(&'static str),
+    #[error("expected \")\"")]
+    ExpectedEndOfList,
+    #[error("expected leaf value")]
+    ExpectedLeaf,
+
     #[error("found a space inside a quoted string, but file didn't declare this possibility")]
     UnexpectedSpaceInQuotedStr,
 }