diff --git a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_new.rs b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_new.rs
index 393ddd6d93e..0f7709622ca 100644
--- a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_new.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_new.rs
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ impl IgnoreList {
             .iter()
             .any(|item| existing_items.contains(item))
         {
-            out.push_str("#\n#already existing elements are commented out\n");
+            out.push_str("#\n#already existing elements were commented out\n");
         }
         out.push('\n');
 
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/init.rs b/tests/testsuite/init.rs
index 4eaae95cf9a..6fef7b7b269 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/init.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/init.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ fn simple_git_ignore_exists() {
          **/some.file\n\n\
          #Added by cargo\n\
          #\n\
-         #already existing elements are commented out\n\
+         #already existing elements were commented out\n\
          \n\
          #/target\n\
          **/*.rs.bk\n\