diff --git a/listings/ch04-understanding-ownership/listing-04-08/src/main.rs b/listings/ch04-understanding-ownership/listing-04-08/src/main.rs
index b6182fe2b7..48106c6344 100644
--- a/listings/ch04-understanding-ownership/listing-04-08/src/main.rs
+++ b/listings/ch04-understanding-ownership/listing-04-08/src/main.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ fn main() {
 
     s.clear(); // this empties the String, making it equal to ""
 
-    // word still has the value 5 here, but there's no more string that
-    // we could meaningfully use the value 5 with. word is now totally invalid!
+    // `word` still has the value `5` here, but `s` no longer has any content
+    // that we could meaningfully use with the value `5`, so `word` is now
+    // totally invalid!
 }
 // ANCHOR_END: here