diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 871bade07..79f12c2ce 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     <path refid="tests.buildpath" />
   </path>
 
-  <target name="display.classpath">
+  <target name="display.classpath" description="Displays the run classpath">
     <property name="asd" refid="run.classpath" />
     <echo message="Classpath is ${asd}" />
   </target>
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
   <!-- -->
   <!-- Cleanup targets -->
   <!-- -->
-  <target name="clean">
+  <target name="clean" description="Cleans any directories and generated files">
     <delete>
       <fileset dir="src/checkstyle">
         <include name="**/Generated*.java"/>
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@
   <!-- -->
 
   <!-- Checks whether the grammar file is newer that the generated code -->
-  <target name="check.antlr">
+  <target name="check.antlr"
+          description="Checks whether the grammar file is newer that the generated code">
     <uptodate property="uptodate.antlr"
               targetfile="${checkstyle.dir}/GeneratedJava14Lexer.java" >
       <srcfiles dir= "${checkstyle.dir}" includes="java.g,java14.g"/>
@@ -82,7 +83,8 @@
   <!-- Conditionally will compile the grammar. Deliberately do not use the -->
   <!-- antlr task as it requirs the ANTLR classes to be in the classpath -->
   <!-- which creates lots of problems. -->
-  <target name="build.antlr" depends="check.antlr" unless="uptodate.antlr">
+  <target name="build.antlr" depends="check.antlr" unless="uptodate.antlr"
+          description="Conditionally compiles the grammar files">
     <java classname="antlr.Tool"
           classpath="${antlr-tools.jar}"
           fork="yes"
@@ -102,7 +104,8 @@
   <!-- -->
   <!-- COMPILE TARGETS -->
   <!-- -->
-  <target name="compile.checkstyle" depends="build.antlr">
+  <target name="compile.checkstyle" depends="build.antlr"
+          description="Compiles the source code">
     <mkdir dir="target/checkstyle" />
     <depend srcdir="src/checkstyle"
             destdir="target/checkstyle" closure="yes"/>
@@ -117,7 +120,8 @@
   <!-- Compiles only the test code. Input files are excluded from
        compilation, they contain code like assert statements
        that does not compile on all JDKs -->
-  <target name="compile.tests" depends="compile.checkstyle">
+  <target name="compile.tests" depends="compile.checkstyle"
+          description="Compiles the test code">
     <mkdir dir="target/tests" />
     <depend srcdir="src/tests" destdir="target/tests" closure="yes"/>
     <!-- start of a change to turn on compilation of all input files -->
@@ -136,7 +140,8 @@
   <!-- -->
 
   <!-- runs the command line version on a file -->
-  <target name="run.checkstyle" depends="compile.tests">
+  <target name="run.checkstyle" depends="compile.tests"
+          description="Runs the command line version on a file">
     <java classname="com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.Main"
           fork="yes"
           dir="src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle"
@@ -153,14 +158,16 @@
     </java>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="checkstyle.simple" depends="compile.tests">
+  <target name="checkstyle.simple" depends="compile.tests"
+          description="Runs checkstyle on a file to test white spaces">
     <taskdef resource="checkstyletask.properties">
       <classpath refid="run.classpath"/>
     </taskdef>
     <checkstyle file="src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/InputWhitespace.java"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="checkstyle.import" depends="compile.tests">
+  <target name="checkstyle.import" depends="compile.tests"
+          description="Runs checkstyle on a file to test imports">
     <taskdef name="checkstyle"
              classname="com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckStyleTask">
       <classpath refid="run.classpath"/>
@@ -171,7 +178,8 @@
     <echo message="THIS IS THE EXPECTED MESSAGE"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="checkstyle.checkstyle" depends="compile.checkstyle">
+  <target name="checkstyle.checkstyle" depends="compile.checkstyle"
+          description="Runs checkstyle on a file to test various rules">
     <taskdef name="checkstyle"
              classname="com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckStyleTask">
       <classpath refid="run.classpath"/>
@@ -200,7 +208,8 @@
     </checkstyle>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="checkstyle.noargs" depends="compile.checkstyle">
+  <target name="checkstyle.noargs" depends="compile.checkstyle"
+          description="Runs checkstyle with no arguments">
     <taskdef name="checkstyle"
              classname="com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckStyleTask">
       <classpath refid="run.classpath"/>
@@ -209,7 +218,8 @@
     <checkstyle/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="checkstyle.another" depends="compile.checkstyle">
+  <target name="checkstyle.another" depends="compile.checkstyle"
+          description="Runs checkstyle with missing properties file">
     <taskdef name="checkstyle"
              classname="com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckStyleTask">
       <classpath refid="run.classpath"/>
@@ -218,7 +228,8 @@
     <checkstyle properties="xzzaaqqwet3ad"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="checkstyle.style" depends="compile.checkstyle">
+  <target name="checkstyle.style" depends="compile.checkstyle"
+          description="Runs checkstyle to test generation of error reports">
     <taskdef name="checkstyle"
              classname="com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckStyleTask">
       <classpath refid="run.classpath"/>
@@ -250,16 +261,19 @@
   </target>
 
   <!-- Targets to verify that JUnit is in the classpath -->
-  <target name="check.junit">
+  <target name="check.junit"
+          description="Checks whether JUnit is in the classpath">
     <available property="have.junit"
                classname="junit.framework.TestListener"/>
   </target>
-  <target name="require.junit" depends="check.junit" unless="have.junit">
+  <target name="require.junit" depends="check.junit" unless="have.junit"
+          description="Fails if JUnit is not present in the classpath">
     <fail message="Need to have JUnit in your CLASSPATH to run the tests. Consider using the one in the lib directory."/>
   </target>
 
   <!-- Targets to verify that Xalan is in the classpath -->
-  <target name="check.xalan">
+  <target name="check.xalan"
+          description="Checks whether xalan is in the classpath">
     <condition property="have.xalan">
       <or>
         <!-- jdk 1.3 with modern Xalan -->
@@ -272,13 +286,15 @@
     </condition>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="require.xalan" depends="check.xalan" unless="have.xalan">
+  <target name="require.xalan" depends="check.xalan" unless="have.xalan"
+          description="Fails if xalan is not present in the classpath">
     <fail message="Need to have Xalan in your CLASSPATH to run the tests. You can download it from http://xml.apache.org/."/>
   </target>
 
   <!-- To run the tests need Xalan in the classpath -->
   <target name="run.tests"
-          depends="compile.tests,require.junit,require.xalan">
+          depends="compile.tests,require.junit,require.xalan"
+          description="Runs the tests for checkstyle">
 
     <mkdir dir="${testreport.dir}"/>
     <property name="tests.dir"
@@ -310,7 +326,8 @@
 
   </target>
 
-  <target name="check.tests.failed" if="tests.have.failed">
+  <target name="check.tests.failed" if="tests.have.failed"
+          description="Fails if the unit tests have failed">
     <property name="report"
               value="${basedir}/${testreport.dir}/index.html"/>
     <fail message="Unit tests failed - Report is available in ${report}"/>
@@ -319,7 +336,8 @@
   <!-- -->
   <!-- DIST TARGETS -->
   <!-- -->
-  <target name="build.bindist" depends="compile.checkstyle, javadoc">
+  <target name="build.bindist" depends="compile.checkstyle, javadoc"
+          description="Builds the compressed distribution files">
     <delete dir="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-${version}" />
     <mkdir dir="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-${version}" />
     <jar jarfile="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-${version}/checkstyle-${version}.jar"
@@ -375,7 +393,8 @@
           src="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-${version}.tar" />
   </target>
 
-  <target name="build.srcdist" depends="checkstyle.checkstyle">
+  <target name="build.srcdist" depends="checkstyle.checkstyle"
+          description="Builds the compressed source files for distribution">
     <delete dir="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-src-${version}" />
     <mkdir dir="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-src-${version}" />
     <copy todir="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-src-${version}">
@@ -406,7 +425,8 @@
           src="${dist.dir}/checkstyle-src-${version}.tar" />
   </target>
 
-  <target name="javadoc" depends="compile.checkstyle">
+  <target name="javadoc" depends="compile.checkstyle"
+          description="Creates the javadoc html files">
     <mkdir dir="docs/api" />
     <move toDir="src/checkstyle">
       <fileset dir="src/checkstyle" includes="**/Generated*.java" />
@@ -425,5 +445,6 @@
   </target>
 
   <!-- Added for GUMP testing -->
-  <target name="gump" depends="build.bindist,build.srcdist,run.tests"/>
+  <target name="gump" depends="build.bindist,build.srcdist,run.tests"
+          description="Runs the test for GUMP testing"/>
 </project>