diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/lib/graph.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/lib/graph.ts
index 8ad479f5056ad..e5172a57b5c4a 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/lib/graph.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/lib/graph.ts
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ export class GaugeWidget extends ConcreteWidget {
     this.copyMetricWarnings(...this.metrics);
 
     if (props.end !== undefined && props.start === undefined) {
-      throw new Error('You must also specify a start if you specify an end');
+      throw new Error('If you specify a value for end, you must also specify a value for start.');
     }
   }
 
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ export class GraphWidget extends ConcreteWidget {
     this.copyMetricWarnings(...this.leftMetrics, ...this.rightMetrics);
 
     if (props.end !== undefined && props.start === undefined) {
-      throw new Error('You must also specify a start if you specify an end');
+      throw new Error('If you specify a value for end, you must also specify a value for start.');
     }
   }
 
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ export class SingleValueWidget extends ConcreteWidget {
     }
 
     if (props.end !== undefined && props.start === undefined) {
-      throw new Error('You must also specify a start if you specify an end');
+      throw new Error('If you specify a value for end, you must also specify a value for start.');
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/test/graphs.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/test/graphs.test.ts
index 7fb2ce8bcd69c..afe053d83612c 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/test/graphs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-cloudwatch/test/graphs.test.ts
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ describe('Graphs', () => {
         view: GraphWidgetView.PIE,
         end: '2018-12-17T06:00:00.000Z',
       });
-    }).toThrow(/You must also specify a start if you specify an end/);
+    }).toThrow(/If you specify a value for end, you must also specify a value for start./);
   });
 
   test('cannot specify an end without a start in SingleValueWidget', () => {
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ describe('Graphs', () => {
         metrics: [new Metric({ namespace: 'CDK', metricName: 'Test' })],
         end: '2018-12-17T06:00:00.000Z',
       });
-    }).toThrow(/You must also specify a start if you specify an end/);
+    }).toThrow(/If you specify a value for end, you must also specify a value for start./);
   });
 
   test('cannot specify an end without a start in GaugeWidget', () => {
@@ -979,6 +979,6 @@ describe('Graphs', () => {
         metrics: [new Metric({ namespace: 'CDK', metricName: 'Test' })],
         end: '2018-12-17T06:00:00.000Z',
       });
-    }).toThrow(/You must also specify a start if you specify an end/);
+    }).toThrow(/If you specify a value for end, you must also specify a value for start./);
   });
 });