diff --git a/cli/src/invocation/cmd/modify.rs b/cli/src/invocation/cmd/modify.rs
index 6f17f0dba..c3fee9a40 100644
--- a/cli/src/invocation/cmd/modify.rs
+++ b/cli/src/invocation/cmd/modify.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::argparse::{Filter, Modification};
-use crate::invocation::{apply_modification, filtered_tasks};
+use crate::invocation::{apply_modification, filtered_tasks, summarize_task};
 use taskchampion::Replica;
 use termcolor::WriteColor;
 
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ pub(crate) fn execute<W: WriteColor>(
     for task in filtered_tasks(replica, &filter)? {
         let mut task = task.into_mut(replica);
 
-        apply_modification(w, &mut task, &modification)?;
+        apply_modification(&mut task, &modification)?;
+
+        let task = task.into_immut();
+        let summary = summarize_task(replica, &task)?;
+        writeln!(w, "modified task {}", summary)?;
     }
 
     Ok(())
@@ -51,7 +55,7 @@ mod test {
 
         assert_eq!(
             w.into_string(),
-            format!("modified task {}\n", task.get_uuid())
+            format!("modified task 1 - new description\n")
         );
     }
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/invocation/mod.rs b/cli/src/invocation/mod.rs
index 985c4d99e..80c49db75 100644
--- a/cli/src/invocation/mod.rs
+++ b/cli/src/invocation/mod.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use crate::argparse::{Command, Subcommand};
 use crate::settings::Settings;
-use taskchampion::{Replica, Server, ServerConfig, StorageConfig, Uuid};
+use taskchampion::{Replica, Server, ServerConfig, StorageConfig, Task, Uuid};
 use termcolor::{ColorChoice, StandardStream};
 
 mod cmd;
@@ -149,3 +149,14 @@ fn get_writer() -> StandardStream {
         ColorChoice::Never
     })
 }
+
+/// Summarize a task in a single line
+fn summarize_task(replica: &mut Replica, task: &Task) -> anyhow::Result<String> {
+    let ws = replica.working_set()?;
+    let uuid = task.get_uuid();
+    if let Some(id) = ws.by_uuid(uuid) {
+        Ok(format!("{} - {}", id, task.get_description()))
+    } else {
+        Ok(format!("{} - {}", uuid, task.get_description()))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cli/src/invocation/modify.rs b/cli/src/invocation/modify.rs
index b67620788..cbbb65e1c 100644
--- a/cli/src/invocation/modify.rs
+++ b/cli/src/invocation/modify.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 use crate::argparse::{DescriptionMod, Modification};
 use std::convert::TryInto;
 use taskchampion::TaskMut;
-use termcolor::WriteColor;
 
 /// Apply the given modification
-pub(super) fn apply_modification<W: WriteColor>(
-    w: &mut W,
+pub(super) fn apply_modification(
     task: &mut TaskMut,
     modification: &Modification,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
@@ -42,7 +40,5 @@ pub(super) fn apply_modification<W: WriteColor>(
         task.remove_tag(&tag)?;
     }
 
-    writeln!(w, "modified task {}", task.get_uuid())?;
-
     Ok(())
 }