diff --git a/language/references.xml b/language/references.xml
index 4e8937e1ea..72fe8f7e40 100644
--- a/language/references.xml
+++ b/language/references.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
-    $a = &amp; $b
+$a =&amp; $b
    </programlisting>
   </informalexample>
 
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@
 
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
-     function foo(&amp;$var) {
-        $var++;
-     }
+function foo(&amp;$var) {
+  $var++;
+}
 
-     $a=5;
-     foo($a);
+$a=5;
+foo($a);
    </programlisting>
   </informalexample>
 
@@ -60,15 +60,15 @@
  <sect1 id="language.references.arent">
   <title>What references aren't?</title>
   <para>
-  As said above. references aren't pointers. That means, the following
+  As said above, references aren't pointers. That means, the following
   construct won't do what you expect:
 
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
-    function foo(&amp;$var) {
-      $var =&amp; $GLOBALS["baz"];
-    }
-     foo($bar);
+function foo(&amp;$var) {
+  $var =&amp; $GLOBALS["baz"];
+}
+foo($bar);
    </programlisting>
   </informalexample>
   </para>
@@ -93,12 +93,12 @@
 
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
-    function &amp;find_var($param) {
-      ...code...
-      return $found_var;
-    }
+function &amp;find_var($param) {
+  ...code...
+  return $found_var;
+}
 
-    $foo =&amp; find_var($bar);
+$foo =&amp; find_var($bar);
    </programlisting>
   </informalexample>
   </para>
@@ -118,9 +118,9 @@
 
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
-    $a = 1;
-    $b =&amp; $a;
-    unset($a);
+$a = 1;
+$b =&amp; $a;
+unset($a);
    </programlisting>
   </informalexample>
 
@@ -154,8 +154,7 @@
 
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
-     $var =&amp; $GLOBALS["var"];
-   </programlisting>
+$var =&amp; $GLOBALS["var"];</programlisting>
   </informalexample>
   </para>
 
@@ -169,7 +168,7 @@
   <title><literal>$this</literal></title>
 
   <simpara>
-   In an object method, $this is always reference to the caller object. 
+   In an object method, <varname>$this</varname> is always reference to the caller object. 
   </simpara>
   </sect2>
  </sect1>