diff --git a/src/cairo-device.c b/src/cairo-device.c
index 73e5040df..965c84c65 100644
--- a/src/cairo-device.c
+++ b/src/cairo-device.c
@@ -194,8 +194,8 @@ _cairo_device_init (cairo_device_t *device,
  * @device from being destroyed until a matching call to
  * cairo_device_destroy() is made.
  *
- * The number of references to a #cairo_device_t can be get using
- * cairo_device_get_reference_count().
+ * Use cairo_device_get_reference_count() to get the number of references
+ * to a #cairo_device_t.
  *
  * Return value: the referenced #cairo_device_t.
  *
diff --git a/src/cairo-font-face.c b/src/cairo-font-face.c
index 795951b14..e10a6eac2 100644
--- a/src/cairo-font-face.c
+++ b/src/cairo-font-face.c
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ _cairo_font_face_init (cairo_font_face_t               *font_face,
  * @font_face from being destroyed until a matching call to
  * cairo_font_face_destroy() is made.
  *
- * The number of references to a #cairo_font_face_t can be get using
- * cairo_font_face_get_reference_count().
+ * Use cairo_font_face_get_reference_count() to get the number of
+ * references to a #cairo_font_face_t.
  *
  * Return value: the referenced #cairo_font_face_t.
  *
diff --git a/src/cairo-pattern.c b/src/cairo-pattern.c
index d3796e679..d73b31c0c 100644
--- a/src/cairo-pattern.c
+++ b/src/cairo-pattern.c
@@ -1047,8 +1047,8 @@ cairo_pattern_create_mesh (void)
  * @pattern from being destroyed until a matching call to
  * cairo_pattern_destroy() is made.
  *
- * The number of references to a #cairo_pattern_t can be get using
- * cairo_pattern_get_reference_count().
+ * Use cairo_pattern_get_reference_count() to get the number of
+ * references to a #cairo_pattern_t.
  *
  * Return value: the referenced #cairo_pattern_t.
  *
diff --git a/src/cairo-scaled-font.c b/src/cairo-scaled-font.c
index 38f3efac2..dff305389 100644
--- a/src/cairo-scaled-font.c
+++ b/src/cairo-scaled-font.c
@@ -1277,8 +1277,8 @@ _cairo_scaled_font_reset_static_data (void)
  * @scaled_font from being destroyed until a matching call to
  * cairo_scaled_font_destroy() is made.
  *
- * The number of references to a #cairo_scaled_font_t can be get using
- * cairo_scaled_font_get_reference_count().
+ * Use cairo_scaled_font_get_reference_count() to get the number of
+ * references to a #cairo_scaled_font_t.
  *
  * Returns: the referenced #cairo_scaled_font_t
  *
diff --git a/src/cairo-surface.c b/src/cairo-surface.c
index 8f05db8c7..6d3ac192b 100644
--- a/src/cairo-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-surface.c
@@ -914,8 +914,8 @@ _cairo_surface_create_scratch (cairo_surface_t	 *other,
  * @surface from being destroyed until a matching call to
  * cairo_surface_destroy() is made.
  *
- * The number of references to a #cairo_surface_t can be get using
- * cairo_surface_get_reference_count().
+ * Use cairo_surface_get_reference_count() to get the number of
+ * references to a #cairo_surface_t.
  *
  * Return value: the referenced #cairo_surface_t.
  *
diff --git a/src/cairo.c b/src/cairo.c
index 02b917102..eb863efdb 100644
--- a/src/cairo.c
+++ b/src/cairo.c
@@ -478,8 +478,8 @@ _cairo_init (cairo_t *cr,
  * @cr from being destroyed until a matching call to cairo_destroy()
  * is made.
  *
- * The number of references to a #cairo_t can be get using
- * cairo_get_reference_count().
+ * Use cairo_get_reference_count() to get the number of references to
+ * a #cairo_t.
  *
  * Return value: the referenced #cairo_t.
  *