diff --git a/doc/faq/usage_faq.rst b/doc/faq/usage_faq.rst
index 4c5e7f23ed0..3c1b0467484 100644
--- a/doc/faq/usage_faq.rst
+++ b/doc/faq/usage_faq.rst
@@ -522,7 +522,9 @@ and turned off via :func:`matplotlib.pyplot.ioff`.
 
 .. note::
    Interactive mode works with suitable backends in ipython and in
-   the ordinary python shell, but it does *not* work in the IDLE IDE.
+   the ordinary python shell, but it does *not* work in the IDLE IDE. 
+   If the default backend does not support interactivity, an interactive 
+   backend can be explicitly activated using any of the methods discussed in `What is a backend?`_.
 
 
 Interactive example
@@ -545,9 +547,8 @@ can type additional commands such as::
 
 and you will see the plot being updated after each line.  This is
 because you are in interactive mode *and* you are using pyplot
-functions.  Now try an alternative method of modifying the
-plot.  Get a
-reference to the :class:`~matplotlib.axes.Axes` instance, and
+functions. Now try an alternative method of modifying the
+plot.  Get a reference to the :class:`~matplotlib.axes.Axes` instance, and
 call a method of that instance::
 
     ax = plt.gca()