diff --git a/pkg/controller/statefulset/stateful_pod_control_test.go b/pkg/controller/statefulset/stateful_pod_control_test.go
index 1afdd676bda..1d4a3d423da 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/statefulset/stateful_pod_control_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/statefulset/stateful_pod_control_test.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlCreatesPods(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for i := range events {
 		if !strings.Contains(events[i], v1.EventTypeNormal) {
-			t.Errorf("Expected normal events found %s", events[i])
+			t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[i])
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlCreatePodExists(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 0 events when Pod and PVC exist found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod and PVC exist: got %d events, but want 0", eventCount)
 		for i := range events {
 			t.Log(events[i])
 		}
@@ -120,11 +120,11 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlCreatePodPvcCreateFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 2 events for PVC create failure found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("PVC create failure: got %d events, but want 2", eventCount)
 	}
 	for i := range events {
 		if !strings.Contains(events[i], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-			t.Errorf("Expected normal events found %s", events[i])
+			t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-warning event %s", events[i])
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -158,11 +158,11 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlCreatePodPvcGetFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 2 events for PVC create failure found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("PVC create failure: got %d events, but want 2", eventCount)
 	}
 	for i := range events {
 		if !strings.Contains(events[i], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-			t.Errorf("Expected normal events found %s", events[i])
+			t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-warning event: %s", events[i])
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -187,12 +187,12 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlCreatePodFailed(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 2 events for failed Pod create found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod create failed: got %d events, but want 2", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeNormal) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[0])
 
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[1], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected warning event found %s", events[1])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-warning event %s", events[1])
 
 	}
 }
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlNoOpUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 0 events for no-op update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("no-op update: got %d events, but want 0", eventCount)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -234,9 +234,9 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlUpdatesIdentity(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 event for successful Pod update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod update successful:got %d events,but want 1", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeNormal) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[0])
 	}
 	if !identityMatches(set, updated) {
 		t.Error("Name update failed identity does not match")
@@ -264,9 +264,9 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlUpdateIdentityFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 event for failed Pod update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod update failed: got %d events, but want 1", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected warning event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-warning event %s", events[0])
 	}
 	if identityMatches(set, pod) {
 		t.Error("Failed update mutated Pod identity")
@@ -308,11 +308,11 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlUpdatesPodStorage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 2 event for successful Pod storage update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod storage update successful: got %d events, but want 2", eventCount)
 	}
 	for i := range events {
 		if !strings.Contains(events[i], v1.EventTypeNormal) {
-			t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[i])
+			t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[i])
 		}
 	}
 	if !storageMatches(set, updated) {
@@ -348,11 +348,11 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlUpdatePodStorageFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 2 event for failed Pod storage update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod storage update failed: got %d events, but want 2", eventCount)
 	}
 	for i := range events {
 		if !strings.Contains(events[i], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-			t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[i])
+			t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[i])
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -384,9 +384,9 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlUpdatePodConflictSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 event for successful Pod update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod update successful: got %d, but want 1", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeNormal) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[0])
 	}
 	if !identityMatches(set, pod) {
 		t.Error("Name update failed identity does not match")
@@ -415,9 +415,9 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlUpdatePodConflictFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 event for failed Pod update found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("Pod update failed: got %d events, but want 1", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[0])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -435,9 +435,9 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlDeletesStatefulPod(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 events for successful delete found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("delete successful: got %d events, but want 1", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeNormal) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected normal event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-normal event %s", events[0])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -455,9 +455,9 @@ func TestStatefulPodControlDeleteFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	events := collectEvents(recorder.Events)
 	if eventCount := len(events); eventCount != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 events for failed delete found %d", eventCount)
+		t.Errorf("delete failed: got %d events, but want 1", eventCount)
 	} else if !strings.Contains(events[0], v1.EventTypeWarning) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected warning event found %s", events[0])
+		t.Errorf("Found unexpected non-warning event %s", events[0])
 	}
 }