diff --git a/features/steps/quorum_commit.py b/features/steps/quorum_commit.py
index 19a887a7..48fc4b62 100644
--- a/features/steps/quorum_commit.py
+++ b/features/steps/quorum_commit.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ def check_synchronous_standby_names(context, name, value, time_limit):
 
     expected_num, expected_value = _parse_synchronous_standby_names(value)
 
+    ssn = None
     while time.time() < max_time:
         try:
             ssn = context.pctl.query(name, "SHOW synchronous_standby_names").fetchone()[0]
diff --git a/patroni/ha.py b/patroni/ha.py
index 8e32429a..d4a6b6de 100644
--- a/patroni/ha.py
+++ b/patroni/ha.py
@@ -766,9 +766,9 @@ class Ha(object):
     def process_sync_replication_prepromote(self) -> bool:
         """Handle sync replication state before promote.
 
-        If quorum replication is requested and we can keep syncing to enough nodes satisfying the quorum invariant
+        If quorum replication is requested, and we can keep syncing to enough nodes satisfying the quorum invariant
         we can promote immediately and let normal quorum resolver process handle any membership changes later.
-        Otherwise we will just reset DCS state to ourselves and add replicas as they connect.
+        Otherwise, we will just reset DCS state to ourselves and add replicas as they connect.
 
         :returns: `True` if on success or `False` if failed to update /sync key in DCS.
         """
diff --git a/patroni/postgresql/sync.py b/patroni/postgresql/sync.py
index f37a8feb..96cdf8fb 100644
--- a/patroni/postgresql/sync.py
+++ b/patroni/postgresql/sync.py
@@ -225,9 +225,9 @@ END;$$""")
         """Yields candidates based on higher replay/write/flush LSN.
 
         .. note::
-            Tuples are reverse ordered by ``sync_state`` and LSN fields so nodes that already synchronous or having
-            higher LSN values are preferred. Replicas that are streaming, but don't have ``running`` ``state``
-            or tagged with ``nofailover`` tag in DCS are skipped.
+            Tuples are ordered by ``sync_state`` and LSN fields in reverse, so nodes that are already synchronous or
+            have higher LSN values are preferred. Replicas that are streaming, but don't have a ``running`` ``state``
+            or are tagged with ``nofailover`` tag in DCS, are skipped.
 
         :param cluster: current cluster topology from DCS.
 
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@ END;$$""")
             * ``pid`` - PID of the walsender process
             * ``member name`` - matches with the ``application_name```
             * ``sync_state`` - one of (``async``, ``potential``, ``quorum``, ``sync``)
-            * ``LSN`` - write_lsn, flush_lsn, or replica_lsn, depending on the value of ``synchronous_commit`` GUC
+            * ``LSN`` - ``write_lsn``, ``flush_lsn``, or ``replica_lsn``, depending on the value of 
+              ``synchronous_commit`` GUC
             * ``nofailover`` - whether the member has ``nofailover`` tag set
         """
 
@@ -260,10 +261,10 @@ END;$$""")
         for pid, app_name, sync_state, replica_lsn in sorted(pg_stat_replication, key=lambda r: r[2:4], reverse=True):
             member = members.get(app_name)
             if member and member.is_running and not member.tags.get('nosync', False):
-                yield (pid, member.name, sync_state, replica_lsn, bool(member.nofailover))
+                yield pid, member.name, sync_state, replica_lsn, bool(member.nofailover)
 
     def _process_replica_readiness(self, cluster: Cluster, replica_list: List[Tuple[int, str, str, int, bool]]) -> None:
-        """Flags replicas as truly "synchronous" when they caught up with "_primary_flush_lsn".
+        """Flags replicas as truly "synchronous" when they have caught up with "_primary_flush_lsn".
 
         :param cluster: current cluster topology from DCS
         :param replica_list: the list of tuples returned from :func:``_get_replica_list`` method
@@ -293,12 +294,12 @@ END;$$""")
 
         Standbys are selected based on values from the global configuration:
 
-            - `maximum_lag_on_syncnode`: would help swapping unhealthy sync replica in case if it stops
-              responding (or hung). Please set the value high enough so it won't unncessarily swap sync
-              standbys during high loads. Any value less or equal of 0 keeps the behavior backward compatible.
-              Please note that it will not also swap sync standbys in case where all replicas are hung.
+            - `maximum_lag_on_syncnode`: would help swapping unhealthy sync replica in case it stops
+              responding (or hung). Please set the value high enough, so it won't unnecessarily swap sync
+              standbys during high loads. Any value less or equal to 0 keeps the behavior backwards compatible.
+              Please note that it will also not swap sync standbys when all replicas are hung.
 
-            - `synchronous_node_count`: controlls how many nodes should be set as synchronous.
+            - `synchronous_node_count`: controls how many nodes should be set as synchronous.
 
         :param cluster: current cluster topology from DCS
 
@@ -379,7 +380,7 @@ END;$$""")
                 self._postgresql.supports_multiple_sync and len(sync) > 1:
             prefix = 'ANY ' if self._postgresql.global_config.is_quorum_commit_mode\
                 and self._postgresql.supports_quorum_commit else ''
-            sync_param = '{0}{1} ({2})'.format(prefix, num, sync_param)
+            sync_param = f'{prefix}{num} ({sync_param})'
 
         if not (self._postgresql.config.set_synchronous_standby_names(sync_param)
                 and self._postgresql.state == 'running' and self._postgresql.is_leader()) or has_asterisk: