diff --git a/docs/18-tutorial-breakout-artwork.md b/docs/18-tutorial-breakout-artwork.md
index 9cfc737..7c7dfbc 100644
--- a/docs/18-tutorial-breakout-artwork.md
+++ b/docs/18-tutorial-breakout-artwork.md
@@ -1423,7 +1423,8 @@ IF STATE# = 2 THEN GOSUB UNSTICK
 RETURN
 
 LABEL PRESSPAUSE
-IF STATE# = 2 THEN STATE# = 6 : GMTYP# = 0 : BAN$ = "PAUSED" : GOSUB SETBANNER : RETURN
+IF STATE# = 2 THEN STATE# = 6 : GMTYP# = 0 : BAN$ = "PAUSED"
+IF STATE# = 2 THEN BAN$ = "PAUSED" : GOSUB SETBANNER : RETURN
 IF STATE# = 6 THEN STATE# = 2 : BAN$ = "" : GOSUB SETBANNER
 RETURN
 ```
diff --git a/tests/language/arrays_in_parameter_lists.bas b/tests/language/arrays_in_parameter_lists.bas
index 06ae3e2..2c8640e 100644
--- a/tests/language/arrays_in_parameter_lists.bas
+++ b/tests/language/arrays_in_parameter_lists.bas
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 10 REM An array reference used as a function argument, and as one of several.
 20 REM An identifier's subscript list used to hang off .right, which is also
-30 REM where an argument list chains its arguments -- so the arity counter walked
+30 REM where arguments chain their arguments -- so the arity counter walked
 40 REM straight into the subscripts and refused the call. TODO.md section 4.
 50 DIM C#(4)
 60 C#(1) = -9
diff --git a/tests/language/audio/filter_refused.bas b/tests/language/audio/filter_refused.bas
index 6acc401..979d0f8 100644
--- a/tests/language/audio/filter_refused.bas
+++ b/tests/language/audio/filter_refused.bas
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-10 REM FILTER has no device capability behind it -- akgl_audio_* synthesises and
-20 REM mixes but has no filter stage, and SDL3 supplies no primitive to build one
-30 REM from. It is refused rather than silently ignored, so a program that asked
+10 REM FILTER has no device capability -- audio synthesises and mixes but
+20 REM has no filter stage; SDL3 supplies no primitive to build one from. It
+30 REM is refused rather than silently ignored, so a program that asked
 40 REM for a low-pass finds out it did not get one.
 50 PRINT "BEFORE"
 60 FILTER 1000, 1, 0, 0, 5
diff --git a/tests/language/audio/no_device.bas b/tests/language/audio/no_device.bas
index 4de2bb5..69d8152 100644
--- a/tests/language/audio/no_device.bas
+++ b/tests/language/audio/no_device.bas
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-10 REM The standalone driver lends the script no audio device. ENVELOPE, VOL and
+10 REM The standalone driver has no audio device. ENVELOPE, VOL and
 20 REM TEMPO only change interpreter state, so they work regardless; SOUND and
 30 REM PLAY need the device and must name themselves when there is none.
 40 ENVELOPE 1, 5, 9, 12, 2
diff --git a/tests/language/functions/recursion.bas b/tests/language/functions/recursion.bas
index 407328f..4697de1 100644
--- a/tests/language/functions/recursion.bas
+++ b/tests/language/functions/recursion.bas
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-10 REM A DEF call takes its environment from the pool, one per call, exactly as
+10 REM A DEF call takes an environment from the pool, one per call, exactly as
 20 REM GOSUB does. It used to be owned by the funcdef and reset on every call,
-30 REM which cost two silent defects: two calls in one expression shared a slot,
+30 REM which cost two silent defects: two calls shared a slot,
 40 REM and recursion never came back at all.
 50 DEF FACT(N#)
 60 IF N# <= 1 THEN RETURN 1
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 150 DEF DBL(N#) = N# * 2
 160 PRINT DBL(10) + DBL(1)
 170 PRINT DBL(1) + DBL(10) + DBL(100)
-180 REM Depth answers to the environment pool now, so runaway recursion reports
-190 REM "Environment pool exhausted" rather than hanging. It is not exercised here
-200 REM because the statement containing a failed call still prints a junk value
-210 REM afterwards -- a separate, pre-existing defect recorded in TODO.md, and one
-220 REM this golden file would pin if it went in. tests/user_functions.c asserts
+180 REM Depth answers to the pool, so runaway recursion reports
+190 REM "Environment pool exhausted" rather than hanging. It is not exercised
+200 REM here because a failed call's statement still prints a junk value
+210 REM afterwards -- a TODO.md defect this file would pin
+220 REM if it went in. tests/user_functions.c asserts
 230 REM the message instead.
diff --git a/tests/language/graphics/argument_errors.bas b/tests/language/graphics/argument_errors.bas
index 5efbf97..e805e2b 100644
--- a/tests/language/graphics/argument_errors.bas
+++ b/tests/language/graphics/argument_errors.bas
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-10 REM A range check reported through the driver, end to end. The program stops
+10 REM A range check reported through the driver. The program stops
 20 REM at the first error, so this file covers one; the rest of the checks are
 30 REM asserted in tests/graphics_verbs.c against the recording backend.
 40 PRINT "BEFORE"
diff --git a/tests/language/graphics/no_device.bas b/tests/language/graphics/no_device.bas
index 7af43f6..acecc3a 100644
--- a/tests/language/graphics/no_device.bas
+++ b/tests/language/graphics/no_device.bas
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 10 REM The standalone driver lends the script no graphics device.
-20 REM COLOR, LOCATE and SCALE only touch interpreter state and must still work.
+20 REM COLOR, LOCATE and SCALE touch interpreter state and must still work.
 30 COLOR 1, 3
 40 LOCATE 40, 50
 50 SCALE 1, 640, 400
diff --git a/tests/language/housekeeping/verbs.bas b/tests/language/housekeeping/verbs.bas
index 6cd67f6..1f988c0 100644
--- a/tests/language/housekeeping/verbs.bas
+++ b/tests/language/housekeeping/verbs.bas
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-10 REM Group B: the housekeeping verbs. None of these is in the Go reference --
-20 REM they are on its own unimplemented list -- so what each one means here is
+10 REM Group B: housekeeping verbs. None is in the Go reference --
+20 REM they are on its unimplemented list -- so what each one means here is
 30 REM a decision, recorded in src/runtime_housekeeping.c beside the verb.
 40 A# = 1 : B# = 2
 50 PRINT A# : PRINT B#
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 110 P#(2) = 7 : Q#(2) = 9
 120 SWAP P#, Q#
 130 PRINT P#(2) : PRINT Q#(2)
-140 REM TRON prints each line number inline before the line runs, as a C128 does.
+140 REM TRON prints each line number inline, as a C128 does.
 150 TRON
 160 PRINT "TRACED"
 170 TROFF
diff --git a/tests/language/numeric/octal_literal.bas b/tests/language/numeric/octal_literal.bas
index 473c4c2..a8f5584 100644
--- a/tests/language/numeric/octal_literal.bas
+++ b/tests/language/numeric/octal_literal.bas
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-10 REM A leading zero is padding, not a radix. The reference selects base 8 for
-20 REM any lexeme starting with 0, so 010 printed 8 and 08 was a parse error --
-30 REM TODO.md section 6 item 10, fixed. Commodore BASIC has no octal literals.
-40 REM 0x is the one prefix that changes the base, and it now reaches the scanner
+10 REM A leading zero is padding, not a radix. The reference selects base 8;
+20 REM 010 printed 8 and 08 was a parse error -- TODO.md section 6 item 10.
+30 REM Commodore BASIC has no octal literals.
+40 REM 0x is the one prefix that changes the base and reaches the scanner
 50 REM whole: that was section 6 item 15.
 60 PRINT 010
 70 PRINT 08
diff --git a/tests/language/numeric/truth_value_arithmetic.bas b/tests/language/numeric/truth_value_arithmetic.bas
index eb6d5f9..1c94002 100644
--- a/tests/language/numeric/truth_value_arithmetic.bas
+++ b/tests/language/numeric/truth_value_arithmetic.bas
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 10 REM A truth value carries its payload in boolvalue, not floatval. The three
 20 REM numeric operators were `if ( INTEGER ) ... else <treat as float>`, and
-30 REM that else was a catch-all rather than a float branch -- so a truth value
+30 REM that else was a catch-all, not a float branch -- so a truth value
 40 REM on the LEFT computed 0 - 1 into a field nothing reads, kept its BOOLEAN
 50 REM type, and printed `true` instead of -2. Silent, and wrong twice over.
 60 A# = 1
 70 PRINT (A# == 1)
-80 REM On the RIGHT it stays legal and stays -1, which is the same property that
-90 REM lets AND and OR double as logical operators. Refusing it here would have
+80 REM On the RIGHT it stays legal and stays -1, the same property that
+90 REM lets AND and OR double as logical operators. Refusing it would have
 100 REM broken every condition in the language.
 110 PRINT 5 - (A# == 1)
 120 PRINT 5 * (A# == 1)
diff --git a/tests/language/statements/multiple_per_line.bas b/tests/language/statements/multiple_per_line.bas
index 0b631ba..4fa7c2c 100644
--- a/tests/language/statements/multiple_per_line.bas
+++ b/tests/language/statements/multiple_per_line.bas
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-10 REM Statements separated by colons. The COLON token existed from the start of
-20 REM the port and nothing consumed it, so a line could hold only one statement.
+10 REM Statements separated by colons. The COLON token existed from the start,
+20 REM but nothing consumed it, so a line could hold only one statement.
 30 PRINT "A" : PRINT "B"
 40 A# = 1 : B# = 2 : PRINT A# + B#
-50 REM An empty statement is not an error: a trailing separator, or a run of them.
+50 REM An empty statement is no error: a trailing separator or run of them.
 60 PRINT "C" :
 70 PRINT "D" :: PRINT "E"
-80 REM Everything after THEN belongs to the condition, which is BASIC 7.0 and is
+80 REM Everything after THEN belongs to the condition, as in BASIC 7.0, and is
 90 REM not something the reference had an opinion about -- it never got here.
 100 IF 1 == 1 THEN PRINT "TRUE-1" : PRINT "TRUE-2"
 110 IF 1 == 0 THEN PRINT "NEVER-1" : PRINT "NEVER-2"
diff --git a/tests/language/structures/missing_field.bas b/tests/language/structures/missing_field.bas
index 97477ef..3b2f972 100644
--- a/tests/language/structures/missing_field.bas
+++ b/tests/language/structures/missing_field.bas
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-10 REM A field name is checked against a closed set the program declared, which
-20 REM is the one thing in this language whose valid spellings are written down.
+10 REM A field name is checked against the type's closed set, which
+20 REM is the one thing here whose valid spellings are written down.
 30 REM A misspelled *variable* is still silent -- see the last two lines.
 40 TYPE RECT
 50   W#
diff --git a/tests/language/structures/parameters.bas b/tests/language/structures/parameters.bas
index b204c20..a861d4a 100644
--- a/tests/language/structures/parameters.bas
+++ b/tests/language/structures/parameters.bas
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 170 RETURN B@.W#
 180 PRINT WIDEN(A@)
 190 PRINT A@.W#
-200 REM To change one on purpose, pass a pointer. Assignment copies a pointer's
+200 REM To change one, pass a pointer. Assignment copies the pointer.
 210 REM reference, so the callee is looking at the caller's own record.
 220 DIM Q@ AS PTR TO CRATE
 230 POINT Q@ AT A@
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 370 N2@.COUNT# = 20
 380 POINT N1@.TAIL@ AT N2@
 390 DEF TOTAL(P@ AS PTR TO NODE)
-395 REM A pointer is true when it points at something, which is how a walk knows
+395 REM A pointer is true when it points at something, so a walk knows
 396 REM where the list ends. NOT is the bitwise operator here, so the test is
 397 REM written the positive way round.
 400 IF P@->TAIL@ THEN RETURN P@->COUNT# + TOTAL(P@->TAIL@)
diff --git a/tests/language/structures/records.bas b/tests/language/structures/records.bas
index 762ea7c..a42e8b4 100644
--- a/tests/language/structures/records.bas
+++ b/tests/language/structures/records.bas
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-10 REM A TYPE declares its fields; each takes its own type from its own suffix,
+10 REM A TYPE declares fields; each takes its type from its own suffix,
 20 REM which is the same rule every other name in this language follows.
 30 TYPE COORD
 40   X#
diff --git a/tests/language/structures/reserved_names.bas b/tests/language/structures/reserved_names.bas
index b273f02..6c41aad 100644
--- a/tests/language/structures/reserved_names.bas
+++ b/tests/language/structures/reserved_names.bas
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 10 REM A type name and a field name are bare words, and so is every verb, so
 20 REM they share a namespace whether we like it or not. Both are refused with
-30 REM the same rule the scanner already applies to variable names -- and a type
+30 REM the same rule the scanner applies to variable names -- and a type
 40 REM name is refused by the prescan, which can say so plainly rather than
 50 REM leaving the parser to report "Expected expression or literal".
 60 TYPE POINT
diff --git a/tests/reference/language/flowcontrol/nestedforloopwaitingforcommand.bas b/tests/reference/language/flowcontrol/nestedforloopwaitingforcommand.bas
index 79be7c0..24a6621 100644
--- a/tests/reference/language/flowcontrol/nestedforloopwaitingforcommand.bas
+++ b/tests/reference/language/flowcontrol/nestedforloopwaitingforcommand.bas
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 10 REM This shows the waitingForCommand utility in the BasicEnvironment
 11 REM when we have a nested for loop. The inner loop SHOULD execute, but
-12 REM the outer loop should NOT execute. Therefore, neither loop should execute.
+12 REM the outer loop should NOT execute. Neither loop should execute.
 20 FOR I# = 1 TO 0
 25 FOR J# = 2 TO 4
 30 PRINT "waitingForCommand FAILS if this is seen"
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@
 35 NEXT J#
 40 NEXT I#
 50 PRINT "SUCCESS"
-80 QUIT
\ No newline at end of file
+80 QUIT
diff --git a/tests/reference/language/functions/mod.bas b/tests/reference/language/functions/mod.bas
index d2d268f..3ab621b 100644
--- a/tests/reference/language/functions/mod.bas
+++ b/tests/reference/language/functions/mod.bas
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 10 PRINT MOD(10, 3)
 20 PRINT MOD(12, 5)
 30 PRINT MOD(4, 2)
-40 REM MOD() ONLY WORKS WITH INTEGERS - RESULTS WITH FLOATING POINT ARE UNRELIABLE
+40 REM MOD() ONLY WORKS WITH INTEGERS - FLOATING-POINT RESULTS ARE UNRELIABLE
 50 REM PRINT MOD(1.2, 0.4)
 60 REM THERE IS NO ERROR THROWN HERE. JUST DONT DO IT.