diff --git a/builtin/fast-export.c b/builtin/fast-export.c
index 9f1c730e58..510139e9b5 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-export.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-export.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include "commit-slab.h"
 
 static const char *fast_export_usage[] = {
-	N_("git fast-export [rev-list-opts]"),
+	N_("git fast-export [<rev-list-opts>]"),
 	NULL
 };
 
diff --git a/builtin/reflog.c b/builtin/reflog.c
index ee5ee8d8cf..343a10d371 100644
--- a/builtin/reflog.c
+++ b/builtin/reflog.c
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ static const char reflog_expire_usage[] =
 N_("git reflog expire [--expire=<time>] "
    "[--expire-unreachable=<time>] "
    "[--rewrite] [--updateref] [--stale-fix] [--dry-run | -n] "
-   "[--verbose] [--all] <refs>...");
+   "[--verbose] [--all] <ref>...");
 static const char reflog_delete_usage[] =
 N_("git reflog delete [--rewrite] [--updateref] "
-   "[--dry-run | -n] [--verbose] <refs>...");
+   "[--dry-run | -n] [--verbose] <ref>...");
 static const char reflog_exists_usage[] =
 N_("git reflog exists <ref>");
 
diff --git a/builtin/rev-list.c b/builtin/rev-list.c
index 777558e9b0..38528c7f15 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-list.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-list.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include "packfile.h"
 
 static const char rev_list_usage[] =
-"git rev-list [OPTION] <commit-id>... [ -- paths... ]\n"
+"git rev-list [<options>] <commit-id>... [-- <path>...]\n"
 "  limiting output:\n"
 "    --max-count=<n>\n"
 "    --max-age=<epoch>\n"