diff --git a/Documentation/git-reset.adoc b/Documentation/git-reset.adoc
index 91dc6e6278..37c868ae24 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-reset.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-reset.adoc
@@ -24,42 +24,46 @@ DESCRIPTION
    the staged version of the specified files.
 
 `git reset [<mode>] [<commit>]`::
-	This form resets the current branch head to _<commit>_ and
-	possibly updates the index (resetting it to the tree of _<commit>_) and
-	the working tree depending on _<mode>_. Before the operation, `ORIG_HEAD`
-	is set to the tip of the current branch. If _<mode>_ is omitted,
-	defaults to `--mixed`. The _<mode>_ must be one of the following:
+	Set the current branch head (`HEAD`) to point at _<commit>_.
+	Depending on _<mode>_, also update the working directory and/or index
+	to match the contents of _<commit>_.
+	_<commit>_ defaults to `HEAD`.
+	Before the operation, `ORIG_HEAD` is set to the tip of the current branch.
++
+The _<mode>_ must be one of the following (default `--mixed`):
 +
---
-`--soft`::
-	Does not touch the index file or the working tree at all (but
-	resets the head to _<commit>_, just like all modes do). This leaves
-	all your changed files "Changes to be committed", as `git status`
-	would put it.
 
+--
 `--mixed`::
-	Resets the index but not the working tree (i.e., the changed files
-	are preserved but not marked for commit) and reports what has not
-	been updated. This is the default action.
+	Leave your working directory unchanged.
+	Update the index to match the new `HEAD`, so nothing will be staged.
 +
-If `-N` is specified, removed paths are marked as intent-to-add (see
+If `-N` is specified, mark removed paths as intent-to-add (see
 linkgit:git-add[1]).
 
+`--soft`::
+	Leave your working tree files and the index unchanged.
+	For example, if you have no staged changes, you can use
+	`git reset --soft HEAD~5; git commit`
+	to combine the last 5 commits into 1 commit. This works even with
+	changes in the working tree, which are left untouched, but such usage
+	can lead to confusion.
+
 `--hard`::
-	Resets the index and working tree. Any changes to tracked files in the
-	working tree since _<commit>_ are discarded.  Any untracked files or
-	directories in the way of writing any tracked files are simply deleted.
+	Overwrite all files and directories with the version from _<commit>_,
+	and may overwrite untracked files. Tracked files not in _<commit>_ are
+	removed so that the working tree matches _<commit>_.
+	Update the index to match the new `HEAD`, so nothing will be staged.
 
 `--merge`::
-	Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are
-	different between _<commit>_ and `HEAD`, but keeps those which are
+	Reset the index and update the files in the working tree that are
+	different between _<commit>_ and `HEAD`, but keep those which are
 	different between the index and working tree (i.e. which have changes
 	which have not been added).
+	Mainly exists to reset unmerged index entries, like those left behind by
+	`git am -3` or `git switch -m` in certain situations.
 	If a file that is different between _<commit>_ and the index has
 	unstaged changes, reset is aborted.
-+
-In other words, `--merge` does something like a `git read-tree -u -m <commit>`,
-but carries forward unmerged index entries.
 
 `--keep`::
 	Resets index entries and updates files in the working tree that are