diff --git a/reference/datetime/datetime/createfromformat.xml b/reference/datetime/datetime/createfromformat.xml
index bd323ad5c7..c7865e2d03 100644
--- a/reference/datetime/datetime/createfromformat.xml
+++ b/reference/datetime/datetime/createfromformat.xml
@@ -39,25 +39,17 @@
      </para>
      <para>
       If <parameter>format</parameter> does not contain the character
-      <literal>!</literal> then portions of the date/time value
-      specified in <parameter>format</parameter> but not specified
-      in <parameter>time</parameter> will be set to the current
+      <literal>!</literal> then portions of the generated time which are not
+      specified in <parameter>format</parameter> will be set to the current
       system time.
      </para>
      <para>
       If <parameter>format</parameter> contains the
       character <literal>!</literal>, then portions of the generated
-      time specified to the left-hand side of
-      the <literal>!</literal> in <parameter>format</parameter> will
+      time not provided in <parameter>format</parameter>, as well as
+      values to the left-hand side of the <literal>!</literal>, will
       be set to corresponding values from the Unix epoch.
      </para>
-     <para>
-      If the first character of <parameter>format</parameter>
-      is <literal>!</literal>, then all portions of the date/time
-      value generated which are not specified in
-      <parameter>time</parameter> will be initialized to corresponding
-      values from the Unix epoch.
-     </para>
      <para>
       The Unix epoch is 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC.
      </para>