diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
index 9c316909e8..55257f7c58 100644
--- a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
+++ b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
@@ -1292,10 +1292,10 @@
                 <itemizedlist>
                     <listitem><para><emphasis>Functions:</emphasis>
                         Functions provide a series of actions to be performed.
-                        Functions are usually used to override the default
-                        implementation of a task function, or to compliment
-                        (append or prepend to an existing function) a default
-                        function.
+                        You usually use functions to override the default
+                        implementation of a task function or to compliment
+                        a default function (i.e. append or prepend to an
+                        existing function).
                         Standard functions use <filename>sh</filename> shell
                         syntax, although access to OpenEmbedded variables and
                         internal methods are also available.</para>
@@ -1308,10 +1308,11 @@
          mv ${D}${bindir}/sed ${D}${base_bindir}/sed.${PN}
      }
                         </literallayout>
-                        It is also possible to implement new functions, that
-                        are not replacing or complimenting the default
-                        functions, which are called between existing tasks.
-                        It is also possible to implement functions in Python
+                        It is also possible to implement new functions that
+                        are called between existing tasks as long as the
+                        new functions are not replacing or complimenting the
+                        default functions.
+                        You can implement functions in Python
                         instead of <filename>sh</filename>.
                         Both of these options are not seen in the majority of
                         recipes.</para></listitem>
@@ -1320,7 +1321,7 @@
                         variable.
                         The assignment can be static text or might include
                         the contents of other variables.
-                        In addition to assignment, appending and prepending
+                        In addition to the assignment, appending and prepending
                         operations are also supported.</para>
                         <para>The following example shows some of the ways
                         you can use variables in recipes:
@@ -1332,12 +1333,12 @@
                         </literallayout>
                         </para></listitem>
                     <listitem><para><emphasis>Keywords:</emphasis>
-                        Only a few keywords are used in BitBake recipes.
-                        Keywords are used for things such as including common
-                        functions (<filename>inherit</filename>), loading parts
+                        BitBake recipes use only a few keywords.
+                        You use keywords to include common
+                        functions (<filename>inherit</filename>), load parts
                         of a recipe from other files
                         (<filename>include</filename> and
-                        <filename>require</filename>) and exporting variables
+                        <filename>require</filename>) and export variables
                         to the environment (<filename>export</filename>).</para>
                         <para>The following example shows the use of some of
                         these keywords:
@@ -1367,7 +1368,7 @@
                 chapter in the BitBake User Manual.
                 <itemizedlist>
                     <listitem><para><emphasis>Line Continuation: <filename>\</filename></emphasis> -
-                        Use the backward slash (<filename>\</filename>
+                        Use the backward slash (<filename>\</filename>)
                         character to split a statement over multiple lines.
                         Place the slash character at the end of the line that
                         is to be continued on the next line:
@@ -1551,7 +1552,7 @@
                         <filename>grep</filename>, <filename>awk</filename>,
                         and so forth) that you might wish to use.
                         If in doubt, you should check with multiple
-                        implementations - including those from busybox.
+                        implementations - including those from BusyBox.
                         </para></listitem>
                 </itemizedlist>
             </para>