diff --git a/src/icat/query.py b/src/icat/query.py
index cd3d9ef..2099967 100644
--- a/src/icat/query.py
+++ b/src/icat/query.py
@@ -466,14 +466,15 @@ def addConditions(self, conditions):
         """Add conditions to the constraints to build the WHERE clause from.
 
         :param conditions: the conditions to restrict the search
-            result.  This must be a list of tuples with a pair of an
-            attribute name and a condition on that attribute
+            result.  This must be a list of tuples, each being a pair
+            of an attribute name and a condition on that attribute
             respectively.  The attribute name may be wrapped with a
             JPQL function (such as "UPPER(title)").
 
             For backward compatibility with previous versions, this
             may alternatively be a mapping of attribute names to a
-            (lists of) conditions.
+            (lists of) conditions.  This legacy use is deprecated,
+            though.
         :type conditions: :class:`list` of :class:`tuple` or :class:`dict`
         :raise ValueError: if any attribute in `conditions` is not valid.