diff --git a/doc/topics/the-event-loop-timers-and-nexttick.md b/doc/topics/the-event-loop-timers-and-nexttick.md
index fe58298d32..2955b9adb5 100644
--- a/doc/topics/the-event-loop-timers-and-nexttick.md
+++ b/doc/topics/the-event-loop-timers-and-nexttick.md
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ through  its queue of callbacks executing them synchronously until
 either the queue has  been exhausted, or the system-dependent hard limit
 is reached.
 
-* _If the `poll` queue is **empty**, one of two more things will
+* _If the `poll` queue **is empty**_, one of two more things will
 happen: 
   * If scripts have been scheduled by `setImmediate()`, the event loop
   will end the `poll` phase and continue to the `check` phase to