diff --git a/Documentation/git-filter-repo.txt b/Documentation/git-filter-repo.txt
index b3c9726b..604b2d78 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-filter-repo.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-filter-repo.txt
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ Path shortcuts
 	`--path <directory>/ --path-rename <directory>/:`
 
 --to-subdirectory-filter <directory>::
-	Treat the project root as instead being under
+	Treat the project root as if it were under
 	<directory>.  Equivalent to using `--path-rename :<directory>/`
 
 Content editing filters (see also --blob-callback)
diff --git a/git-filter-repo b/git-filter-repo
index d526a90f..59294d18 100755
--- a/git-filter-repo
+++ b/git-filter-repo
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ EXAMPLES
                "to using '--path DIRECTORY/ --path-rename DIRECTORY/:'"))
     helpers.add_argument('--to-subdirectory-filter', metavar='DIRECTORY',
         action=FilteringOptions.HelperFilter, type=os.fsencode,
-        help=_("Treat the project root as instead being under DIRECTORY. "
+        help=_("Treat the project root as if it were under DIRECTORY. "
                "Equivalent to using '--path-rename :DIRECTORY/'"))
 
     contents = parser.add_argument_group(title=_("Content editing filters "