Author suggests using imperative form commit messages ("add X") as opposed to past tense ("added X"). Past tense should be avoided, but using imperative form sounds unnatural and incomplete. I prefer present tense. Just follow this template and you'll be fine:
Q: What does the commit do?
A: The commit <commit>.
Example:
Q: What does the commit do?
A: The commit adds extra padding to the header.
In this example, "adds extra padding to the header" is your commit message.
Both are natural, but imperative is simply more commonly used.
When applied, this commit will <refactor abc controller>.
This commit <refactors abc controller>.
I personally prefer imperative because when you look at a commit it hasn't necessarily been applied yet. But it's like arguing about the difference of potato and potato. As long as you're consistent (and write good messages in whatever style) it doesn't really matter.
