@defun car cons-cell
This function returns the value referred to by the first slot of the
-cons cell @var{cons-cell}. Expressed another way, this function
-returns the @sc{car} of @var{cons-cell}.
+cons cell @var{cons-cell}. In other words, it returns the @sc{car} of
+@var{cons-cell}.
-As a special case, if @var{cons-cell} is @code{nil}, then @code{car}
-is defined to return @code{nil}; therefore, any list is a valid argument
-for @code{car}. An error is signaled if the argument is not a cons cell
-or @code{nil}.
+As a special case, if @var{cons-cell} is @code{nil}, this function
+returns @code{nil}. Therefore, any list is a valid argument. An
+error is signaled if the argument is not a cons cell or @code{nil}.
@example
@group
@end defun
@defun cdr cons-cell
-This function returns the value referred to by the second slot of
-the cons cell @var{cons-cell}. Expressed another way, this function
-returns the @sc{cdr} of @var{cons-cell}.
-
-As a special case, if @var{cons-cell} is @code{nil}, then @code{cdr}
-is defined to return @code{nil}; therefore, any list is a valid argument
-for @code{cdr}. An error is signaled if the argument is not a cons cell
-or @code{nil}.
+This function returns the value referred to by the second slot of the
+cons cell @var{cons-cell}. In other words, it returns the @sc{cdr} of
+@var{cons-cell}.
+
+As a special case, if @var{cons-cell} is @code{nil}, this function
+returns @code{nil}; therefore, any list is a valid argument. An error
+is signaled if the argument is not a cons cell or @code{nil}.
@example
@group