2 files changed, 16 insertions, 10 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 00e8e0bf598..390475000a1 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2009-07-18  Chong Yidong  <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
+
+        * simple.el (region-active-p, use-region-p): Doc fix (Bug#3873).
+
 2009-07-18  Eli Zaretskii  <eliz@gnu.org>
 
         * desktop.el (desktop-buffers-not-to-save): Default value is nil.
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 50e4ac5b4a8..6ea572b68e5 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -3559,23 +3559,25 @@ point otherwise."
 (defun use-region-p ()
   "Return t if the region is active and it is appropriate to act on it.
 This is used by commands that act specially on the region under
-Transient Mark mode.  It returns t if and only if Transient Mark
-mode is enabled, the mark is active, and the region is non-empty.
-If `use-empty-active-region' is non-nil, it returns t even if the
-region is empty.
+Transient Mark mode.
 
-For some commands, it may be appropriate to disregard the value
-of `use-empty-active-region'; in that case, use `region-active-p'."
+The return value is t provided Transient Mark mode is enabled and
+the mark is active; and, when `use-empty-active-region' is
+non-nil, provided the region is empty.  Otherwise, the return
+value is nil.
+
+For some commands, it may be appropriate to ignore the value of
+`use-empty-active-region'; in that case, use `region-active-p'."
   (and (region-active-p)
        (or use-empty-active-region (> (region-end) (region-beginning)))))
 
 (defun region-active-p ()
   "Return t if Transient Mark mode is enabled and the mark is active.
 
-Most commands that act on the region if it is active and
-Transient Mark mode is enabled, and on the text near point
-otherwise, should use `use-region-p' instead.  That function
-checks the value of `use-empty-active-region' as well."
+Some commands act specially on the region when Transient Mark
+mode is enabled.  Usually, such commands should use
+`use-region-p' instead of this function, because `use-region-p'
+also checks the value of `use-empty-active-region'."
   (and transient-mark-mode mark-active))
 
 (defvar mark-ring nil