diff --git a/Doc/ref/refa1.tex b/Doc/ref/refa1.tex
index a2359780d9b..36a04a55bbb 100644
--- a/Doc/ref/refa1.tex
+++ b/Doc/ref/refa1.tex
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 The semantics of Python's static scoping will change in version 2.2 to
 support resolution of unbound local names in enclosing functions'
 namespaces.  The new semantics will be available in Python 2.1 through
-the use of a ``future'' statement.  This appendix documents these two
+the use of a future statement.  This appendix documents these two
 features for Python 2.1; it will be removed in Python 2.2 and the
 features will be documented in the main sections of this manual.