diff --git a/passes/cmds/select.cc b/passes/cmds/select.cc
index 2561e8f64..bdfa7a64e 100644
--- a/passes/cmds/select.cc
+++ b/passes/cmds/select.cc
@@ -690,15 +690,18 @@ struct SelectPass : public Pass {
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -set <name>\n");
 		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead save the new selection\n");
-		log("        under the given name (see @<name> below).\n");
+		log("        under the given name (see @<name> below). to save the current selection,\n");
+		log("        use \"select -set <name> %%\"\n");
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -assert-none\n");
-		log("        asserts that the given selection is empty. i.e. produce an error if\n");
-		log("        any object matching the selection is found.\n");
+		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead assert that the given\n");
+		log("        selection is empty. i.e. produce an error if any object matching the\n");
+		log("        selection is found.\n");
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -assert-any\n");
-		log("        asserts that the given selection is non-empty. i.e. produce an error\n");
-		log("        if no object matching the selection is found.\n");
+		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead assert that the given\n");
+		log("        selection is non-empty. i.e. produce an error if no object matching\n");
+		log("        the selection is found.\n");
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -list\n");
 		log("        list all objects in the current selection\n");