filename = git_path("%s", pseudoref);
        fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&lock, filename, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
        if (fd < 0) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "Could not open '%s' for writing: %s",
+               strbuf_addf(err, "could not open '%s' for writing: %s",
                            filename, strerror(errno));
                return -1;
        }
                if (read_ref(pseudoref, actual_old_sha1))
                        die("could not read ref '%s'", pseudoref);
                if (hashcmp(actual_old_sha1, old_sha1)) {
-                       strbuf_addf(err, "Unexpected sha1 when writing %s", pseudoref);
+                       strbuf_addf(err, "unexpected sha1 when writing '%s'", pseudoref);
                        rollback_lock_file(&lock);
                        goto done;
                }
        }
 
        if (write_in_full(fd, buf.buf, buf.len) != buf.len) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "Could not write to '%s'", filename);
+               strbuf_addf(err, "could not write to '%s'", filename);
                rollback_lock_file(&lock);
                goto done;
        }
 
        if (new_sha1 && !is_null_sha1(new_sha1) &&
            check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL)) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "refusing to update ref with bad name %s",
+               strbuf_addf(err, "refusing to update ref with bad name '%s'",
                            refname);
                return -1;
        }
 
                          lock->old_oid.hash, NULL)) {
                if (old_sha1) {
                        int save_errno = errno;
-                       strbuf_addf(err, "can't verify ref %s", lock->ref_name);
+                       strbuf_addf(err, "can't verify ref '%s'", lock->ref_name);
                        errno = save_errno;
                        return -1;
                } else {
                }
        }
        if (old_sha1 && hashcmp(lock->old_oid.hash, old_sha1)) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "ref %s is at %s but expected %s",
+               strbuf_addf(err, "ref '%s' is at %s but expected %s",
                            lock->ref_name,
                            sha1_to_hex(lock->old_oid.hash),
                            sha1_to_hex(old_sha1));
                if (last_errno != ENOTDIR ||
                    !verify_refname_available_dir(orig_refname, extras, skip,
                                                  get_loose_refs(&ref_cache), err))
-                       strbuf_addf(err, "unable to resolve reference %s: %s",
+                       strbuf_addf(err, "unable to resolve reference '%s': %s",
                                    orig_refname, strerror(last_errno));
 
                goto error_return;
                /* fall through */
        default:
                last_errno = errno;
-               strbuf_addf(err, "unable to create directory for %s",
+               strbuf_addf(err, "unable to create directory for '%s'",
                            ref_file.buf);
                goto error_return;
        }
        strbuf_git_path(logfile, "logs/%s", refname);
        if (force_create || should_autocreate_reflog(refname)) {
                if (safe_create_leading_directories(logfile->buf) < 0) {
-                       strbuf_addf(err, "unable to create directory for %s: "
+                       strbuf_addf(err, "unable to create directory for '%s': "
                                    "%s", logfile->buf, strerror(errno));
                        return -1;
                }
 
                if (errno == EISDIR) {
                        if (remove_empty_directories(logfile)) {
-                               strbuf_addf(err, "There are still logs under "
+                               strbuf_addf(err, "there are still logs under "
                                            "'%s'", logfile->buf);
                                return -1;
                        }
                }
 
                if (logfd < 0) {
-                       strbuf_addf(err, "unable to append to %s: %s",
+                       strbuf_addf(err, "unable to append to '%s': %s",
                                    logfile->buf, strerror(errno));
                        return -1;
                }
        result = log_ref_write_fd(logfd, old_sha1, new_sha1,
                                  git_committer_info(0), msg);
        if (result) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "unable to append to %s: %s", logfile->buf,
+               strbuf_addf(err, "unable to append to '%s': %s", logfile->buf,
                            strerror(errno));
                close(logfd);
                return -1;
        }
        if (close(logfd)) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "unable to append to %s: %s", logfile->buf,
+               strbuf_addf(err, "unable to append to '%s': %s", logfile->buf,
                            strerror(errno));
                return -1;
        }
        o = parse_object(sha1);
        if (!o) {
                strbuf_addf(err,
-                           "Trying to write ref %s with nonexistent object %s",
+                           "trying to write ref '%s' with nonexistent object %s",
                            lock->ref_name, sha1_to_hex(sha1));
                unlock_ref(lock);
                return -1;
        }
        if (o->type != OBJ_COMMIT && is_branch(lock->ref_name)) {
                strbuf_addf(err,
-                           "Trying to write non-commit object %s to branch %s",
+                           "trying to write non-commit object %s to branch '%s'",
                            sha1_to_hex(sha1), lock->ref_name);
                unlock_ref(lock);
                return -1;
            write_in_full(fd, &term, 1) != 1 ||
            close_ref(lock) < 0) {
                strbuf_addf(err,
-                           "Couldn't write %s", get_lock_file_path(lock->lk));
+                           "couldn't write '%s'", get_lock_file_path(lock->lk));
                unlock_ref(lock);
                return -1;
        }
            (strcmp(lock->ref_name, lock->orig_ref_name) &&
             log_ref_write(lock->orig_ref_name, lock->old_oid.hash, sha1, logmsg, flags, err) < 0)) {
                char *old_msg = strbuf_detach(err, NULL);
-               strbuf_addf(err, "Cannot update the ref '%s': %s",
+               strbuf_addf(err, "cannot update the ref '%s': %s",
                            lock->ref_name, old_msg);
                free(old_msg);
                unlock_ref(lock);
                }
        }
        if (commit_ref(lock)) {
-               strbuf_addf(err, "Couldn't set %s", lock->ref_name);
+               strbuf_addf(err, "couldn't set '%s'", lock->ref_name);
                unlock_ref(lock);
                return -1;
        }
        for (i = 1; i < n; i++)
                if (!strcmp(refnames->items[i - 1].string, refnames->items[i].string)) {
                        strbuf_addf(err,
-                                   "Multiple updates for ref '%s' not allowed.",
+                                   "multiple updates for ref '%s' not allowed.",
                                    refnames->items[i].string);
                        return 1;
                }
                         * Close it to free up the file descriptor:
                         */
                        if (close_ref(update->lock)) {
-                               strbuf_addf(err, "Couldn't close %s.lock",
+                               strbuf_addf(err, "couldn't close '%s.lock'",
                                            update->refname);
                                goto cleanup;
                        }