diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/messages.properties b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/messages.properties
index d9ce352f6..0d6ce9176 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/messages.properties
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/messages.properties
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ line.previous=''{0}'' should be on the previous line.
 todo.match=Comment matches to-do format ''{0}''.
 
 import.duplicate=Duplicate import to line {0,number,integer} - {1}.
-import.avoidStar=Avoid using the ''.*'' form of import - {0}.
+import.avoidStar=Using the ''.*'' form of import should be avoided - {0}.
 import.lang=Redundant import from the java.lang package - {0}.
 import.same=Redundant import from the same package - {0}.
 import.unused=Unused import - {0}.
 import.illegal=Import from illegal package - {0}.
 
-instantiation.avoid=Avoid instantiation of {0}.
+instantiation.avoid=Instantiation of {0} should be avoided.
 
 upperEll=Should use uppercase ''L''.
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ maxParam=More than {0,number,integer} parameters.
 
 field.unused=''{0}'' is an unused field.
 
-assignment.inner.avoid=Avoid inner assignments.
+assignment.inner.avoid=Inner assignments should be avoided.
 illegal.regexp=Line matches the illegal pattern ''{0}''.
 equals.noHashCode=Definition of ''equals()'' without corresponding definition of ''hashCode()''.
 
@@ -71,4 +71,4 @@ hidden.field=''{0}'' hides a field.
 translation.missingKey=Key ''{0}'' missing.
 
 simplify.expression=Expression can be simplified.
-simplify.boolreturn=Remove conditional logic.
+simplify.boolreturn=Conditional logic can be removed.