-n::
--dry-run::
Check if the command would error out, without updating the index
- nor the files in the working tree for real.
+ or the files in the working tree for real.
-v::
Show the progress of checking files out.
you are trying to merge (stage 2 and 3 respectively).
The order of stages 1, 2 and 3 (hence the order of three
-<tree-ish> command line arguments) are significant when you
+<tree-ish> command-line arguments) are significant when you
start a 3-way merge with an index file that is already
populated. Here is an outline of how the algorithm works: