diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -1087,53 +1087,53 @@ def verify(ui, repo):
 # Command options and aliases are listed here, alphabetically
 
 table = {
-    "^add": (add, [], "hg add [files]"),
-    "addremove": (addremove, [], "hg addremove [files]"),
+    "^add": (add, [], "hg add FILE..."),
+    "addremove": (addremove, [], "hg addremove [FILE]..."),
     "^annotate":
         (annotate,
          [('r', 'revision', '', 'revision'),
           ('u', 'user', None, 'show user'),
           ('n', 'number', None, 'show revision number'),
           ('c', 'changeset', None, 'show changeset')],
-         'hg annotate [-u] [-c] [-n] [-r id] [files]'),
+         'hg annotate [-r REV] [-u] [-n] [-c] FILE...'),
     "cat":
         (cat,
          [('o', 'output', "", 'output to file')],
-         'hg cat [-o outfile] <file> [rev]'),
+         'hg cat [-o OUTFILE] FILE [REV]'),
     "^clone":
         (clone,
          [('U', 'noupdate', None, 'skip update after cloning')],
-         'hg clone [options] <source> [dest]'),
+         'hg clone [-U] SOURCE [DEST]'),
     "^commit|ci":
         (commit,
-         [('t', 'text', "", 'commit text'),
-          ('A', 'addremove', None, 'run add/remove during commit'),
+         [('A', 'addremove', None, 'run add/remove during commit'),
+          ('t', 'text', "", 'commit text'),
           ('l', 'logfile', "", 'commit text file'),
           ('d', 'date', "", 'date code'),
           ('u', 'user', "", 'user')],
-         'hg commit [files]'),
-    "copy": (copy, [], 'hg copy <source> <dest>'),
+         'hg commit [OPTION]... [FILE]...'),
+    "copy": (copy, [], 'hg copy SOURCE DEST'),
     "debugcheckstate": (debugcheckstate, [], 'debugcheckstate'),
     "debugstate": (debugstate, [], 'debugstate'),
-    "debugindex": (debugindex, [], 'debugindex <file>'),
-    "debugindexdot": (debugindexdot, [], 'debugindexdot <file>'),
+    "debugindex": (debugindex, [], 'debugindex FILE'),
+    "debugindexdot": (debugindexdot, [], 'debugindexdot FILE'),
     "^diff":
         (diff,
          [('r', 'rev', [], 'revision')],
-         'hg diff [-r A] [-r B] [files]'),
+         'hg diff [-r REV1 [-r REV2]] [FILE]...'),
     "^export":
         (export,
          [('o', 'output', "", 'output to file')],
-         "hg export [-o file] <changeset> ..."),
-    "forget": (forget, [], "hg forget [files]"),
+         "hg export [-o OUTFILE] REV..."),
+    "forget": (forget, [], "hg forget [FILE]..."),
     "heads": (heads, [], 'hg heads'),
-    "help": (help_, [], 'hg help [command]'),
+    "help": (help_, [], 'hg help [COMMAND]'),
     "identify|id": (identify, [], 'hg identify'),
     "import|patch":
         (import_,
          [('p', 'strip', 1, 'path strip'),
           ('b', 'base', "", 'base path')],
-         "hg import [options] <patches>"),
+         "hg import [-p NUM] [-b BASE] PATCH..."),
     "^init": (init, [], 'hg init'),
     "locate":
         (locate,
@@ -1142,19 +1142,19 @@ table = {
           ('i', 'include', [], 'include path in search'),
           ('r', 'rev', '', 'revision'),
           ('x', 'exclude', [], 'exclude path from search')],
-         'hg locate [options] [files]'),
+         'hg locate [OPTION]... [PATTERN]...'),
     "^log|history":
         (log,
          [('r', 'rev', [], 'revision'),
           ('p', 'patch', None, 'show patch')],
-         'hg log [-r A] [-r B] [-p] [file]'),
-    "manifest": (manifest, [], 'hg manifest [rev]'),
-    "parents": (parents, [], 'hg parents [node]'),
+         'hg log [-r REV1 [-r REV2]] [-p] [FILE]'),
+    "manifest": (manifest, [], 'hg manifest [REV]'),
+    "parents": (parents, [], 'hg parents [REV]'),
     "^pull":
         (pull,
          [('u', 'update', None, 'update working directory')],
-         'hg pull [options] [source]'),
-    "^push": (push, [], 'hg push <destination>'),
+         'hg pull [-u] [SOURCE]'),
+    "^push": (push, [], 'hg push [DEST]'),
     "rawcommit":
         (rawcommit,
          [('p', 'parent', [], 'parent'),
@@ -1163,14 +1163,14 @@ table = {
           ('F', 'files', "", 'file list'),
           ('t', 'text', "", 'commit text'),
           ('l', 'logfile', "", 'commit text file')],
-         'hg rawcommit [options] [files]'),
+         'hg rawcommit [OPTION]... [FILE]...'),
     "recover": (recover, [], "hg recover"),
-    "^remove|rm": (remove, [], "hg remove [files]"),
+    "^remove|rm": (remove, [], "hg remove FILE..."),
     "^revert":
         (revert,
          [("n", "nonrecursive", None, "don't recurse into subdirs"),
           ("r", "rev", "", "revision")],
-         "hg revert [files|dirs]"),
+         "hg revert [-n] [-r REV] NAME..."),
     "root": (root, [], "hg root"),
     "^serve":
         (serve,
@@ -1181,7 +1181,7 @@ table = {
           ('n', 'name', os.getcwd(), 'repository name'),
           ('', 'stdio', None, 'for remote clients'),
           ('t', 'templates', "", 'template map')],
-         "hg serve [options]"),
+         "hg serve [OPTION]..."),
     "^status": (status, [], 'hg status'),
     "tag":
         (tag,
@@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@ table = {
           ('t', 'text', "", 'commit text'),
           ('d', 'date', "", 'date code'),
           ('u', 'user', "", 'user')],
-         'hg tag [options] <name> [rev]'),
+         'hg tag [OPTION]... NAME [REV]'),
     "tags": (tags, [], 'hg tags'),
     "tip": (tip, [], 'hg tip'),
     "undo": (undo, [], 'hg undo'),
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@ table = {
         (update,
          [('m', 'merge', None, 'allow merging of conflicts'),
           ('C', 'clean', None, 'overwrite locally modified files')],
-         'hg update [options] [node]'),
+         'hg update [-m] [-C] [REV]'),
     "verify": (verify, [], 'hg verify'),
     "version": (show_version, [], 'hg version'),
     }
diff --git a/tests/test-help.out b/tests/test-help.out
--- a/tests/test-help.out
+++ b/tests/test-help.out
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ basic hg commands (use "hg help -v" for 
  status     show changed files in the working directory
  update     update or merge working directory
 hg add: option -h not recognized
-hg add [files]
+hg add FILE...
 
 add the specified files on the next commit
 hg add: option --skjdfks not recognized
-hg add [files]
+hg add FILE...
 
 add the specified files on the next commit
-hg diff [-r A] [-r B] [files]
+hg diff [-r REV1 [-r REV2]] [FILE]...
 
  -r --rev 
    revision