diff --git a/extensions/gii/console/GenerateController.php b/extensions/gii/console/GenerateController.php
index 6dbd937cc0..ba197529e2 100644
--- a/extensions/gii/console/GenerateController.php
+++ b/extensions/gii/console/GenerateController.php
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class GenerateController extends Controller
     public function __get($name)
     {
         return isset($this->_options[$name]) ? $this->_options[$name] : null;
-
+        // todo: should determine which options are valid
         if ($this->action) {
             $options = $this->options($this->action->id);
             if (in_array($name, $options)) {
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ class GenerateController extends Controller
     {
         $this->_options[$name] = $value;
         return;
+        // todo: should determine which options are valid
         if ($this->action) {
             $options = $this->options($this->action->id);
             if (in_array($name, $options)) {
@@ -122,9 +123,11 @@ class GenerateController extends Controller
     public function options($id)
     {
         if (isset($this->generators[$id])) {
+            $attributes = $this->generators[$id]->attributes;
+            unset($attributes['templates']);
             return array_merge(
                 parent::options($id),
-                array_keys($this->generators[$id]->attributes)
+                array_keys($attributes)
             );
         } else {
             return parent::options($id);
@@ -146,7 +149,8 @@ class GenerateController extends Controller
     public function getActionHelp($action)
     {
         /** @var $action Action */
-        return $action->generator->getDescription();
+        $description = $action->generator->getDescription();
+        return wordwrap(preg_replace('/\s+/', ' ', $description));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -164,17 +168,27 @@ class GenerateController extends Controller
     {
         /** @var $action Action */
         $attributes = $action->generator->attributes;
+        unset($attributes['templates']);
         $hints = $action->generator->hints();
 
         $options = [];
         foreach ($attributes as $name => $value) {
+            $type = gettype($value);
             $options[$name] = [
-                'type' => 'string',
+                'type' => $type === 'NULL' ? 'string' : $type,
+                'required' => $action->generator->isAttributeRequired($name),
                 'default' => $value,
-                'comment' => isset($hints[$name]) ? $hints[$name] : '',
+                'comment' => isset($hints[$name]) ? $this->formatHint($hints[$name]) : '',
             ];
         }
 
         return $options;
     }
+
+    protected function formatHint($hint)
+    {
+        $hint = preg_replace('%<code>(.*?)</code>%', '\1', $hint);
+        $hint = preg_replace('/\s+/', ' ', $hint);
+        return wordwrap($hint);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/framework/console/controllers/HelpController.php b/framework/console/controllers/HelpController.php
index 3ee0e4c004..8e13f7e62f 100644
--- a/framework/console/controllers/HelpController.php
+++ b/framework/console/controllers/HelpController.php
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ namespace yii\console\controllers;
 
 use Yii;
 use yii\base\Application;
-use yii\base\InlineAction;
 use yii\console\Controller;
 use yii\console\Exception;
 use yii\helpers\Console;
@@ -302,7 +301,7 @@ class HelpController extends Controller
         if (!empty($options)) {
             $this->stdout("\nOPTIONS\n\n", Console::BOLD);
             foreach ($options as $name => $option) {
-                echo $this->formatOptionHelp($this->ansiFormat('--' . $name, Console::FG_RED), false, $option['type'], $option['default'], $option['comment']) . "\n\n";
+                echo $this->formatOptionHelp($this->ansiFormat('--' . $name, Console::FG_RED), !empty($option['required']), $option['type'], $option['default'], $option['comment']) . "\n\n";
             }
         }
     }
@@ -329,7 +328,12 @@ class HelpController extends Controller
                 // show as integer to avoid confusion
                 $defaultValue = (int) $defaultValue;
             }
-            $doc = "$type (defaults to " . var_export($defaultValue, true) . ")";
+            if (is_string($defaultValue)) {
+                $defaultValue = "'" . $defaultValue . "'";
+            } else {
+                $defaultValue = var_export($defaultValue, true);
+            }
+            $doc = "$type (defaults to " . $defaultValue . ")";
         } elseif (trim($type) !== '') {
             $doc = $type;
         }