diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/path_tree.go b/pkg/yqlib/path_tree.go
index a9d1ea06..4ea6f42f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/path_tree.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/path_tree.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (p *pathTreeCreator) CreatePathTree(postFixPath []*Operation) (*PathTreeNod
 		stack = append(stack, &newNode)
 	}
 	if len(stack) != 1 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected stack to have 1 thing but its %v", stack)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected end of expression but found '%v', please check expression syntax", strings.TrimSpace(stack[1].Operation.StringValue))
 	}
 	return stack[0], nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/path_tree_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/path_tree_test.go
index bd5d618e..6b2ab713 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/path_tree_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/path_tree_test.go
@@ -35,3 +35,8 @@ func TestPathTreeOneArgForOneArgOp(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := treeCreator.ParsePath("explode(.)")
 	test.AssertResultComplex(t, nil, err)
 }
+
+func TestPathTreeExtraArgs(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := treeCreator.ParsePath("sortKeys(.) explode(.)")
+	test.AssertResultComplex(t, "expected end of expression but found 'explode', please check expression syntax", err.Error())
+}