diff --git a/lib/shared/is-array.js b/lib/shared/is-array.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 70373f16..00000000
--- a/lib/shared/is-array.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-function isArray(val) {
-  return Array.isArray(val);
-}
-
-module.exports = isArray;
diff --git a/lib/shared/is-number.js b/lib/shared/is-number.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 061505c2..00000000
--- a/lib/shared/is-number.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-function isNumber(val) {
-  return (typeof val === 'number');
-}
-
-module.exports = isNumber;
diff --git a/lib/shared/is-string.js b/lib/shared/is-string.js
deleted file mode 100644
index f0026b3b..00000000
--- a/lib/shared/is-string.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-function isString(val) {
-  return (typeof val === 'string');
-}
-
-module.exports = isString;
diff --git a/lib/shared/log/copy-tree.js b/lib/shared/log/copy-tree.js
index e32ff90d..99d7b5fa 100644
--- a/lib/shared/log/copy-tree.js
+++ b/lib/shared/log/copy-tree.js
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var isArray = require('../is-array');
-var isNumber = require('../is-number');
-
 function copyNode(node) {
   var newNode = {};
   Object.keys(node).forEach(function(key) {
@@ -21,14 +18,14 @@ function copyTree(tree, opts, nodeFactory) {
   opts = opts || {};
 
   var depth = opts.tasksDepth;
-  depth = !isNumber(depth) ? null : ((depth < 1) ? 1 : depth);
+  depth = typeof depth === 'number' ? ((depth < 1) ? 1 : depth) : null;
 
   nodeFactory = nodeFactory || defaultNodeFactory;
 
   var newTree = nodeFactory.topNode(tree);
   newTree.nodes = [];
 
-  if (isArray(tree.nodes)) {
+  if (Array.isArray(tree.nodes)) {
     tree.nodes.forEach(visit);
   }
 
@@ -69,7 +66,7 @@ function copyTree(tree, opts, nodeFactory) {
 }
 
 function forEach(nodes, fn) {
-  if (!isArray(nodes)) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(nodes)) {
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/shared/log/tasks.js b/lib/shared/log/tasks.js
index e0a72dd6..697066db 100644
--- a/lib/shared/log/tasks.js
+++ b/lib/shared/log/tasks.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ var log = require('gulplog');
 
 var sortBy = require('array-sort');
 var isObject = require('isobject');
-var isString = require('../is-string');
 
 var copyTree = require('./copy-tree');
 
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ function getNodeFactory(getTask, entryObserver) {
 
       var newNode = {
         label: node.label,
-        desc: isString(task.description) ? task.description : '',
+        desc: typeof task.description === 'string' ? task.description : '',
         opts: [],
       };
       entryObserver.topTask(newNode);
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ function getNodeFactory(getTask, entryObserver) {
           }
           var opt = {
             label: flag,
-            desc: isString(task.flags[flag]) ? task.flags[flag] : '',
+            desc: typeof task.flags[flag] === 'string' ? task.flags[flag] : '',
           };
           entryObserver.option(opt);
           newNode.opts.push(opt);
diff --git a/lib/versioned/^3.7.0/index.js b/lib/versioned/^3.7.0/index.js
index 6e3eda7e..6dc4a96f 100644
--- a/lib/versioned/^3.7.0/index.js
+++ b/lib/versioned/^3.7.0/index.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ var tildify = require('tildify');
 var taskTree = require('./taskTree');
 
 var logTasks = require('../../shared/log/tasks');
-var isString = require('../../shared/is-string');
 var logEvents = require('./log/events');
 var logTasksSimple = require('./log/tasksSimple');
 var registerExports = require('../../shared/registerExports');
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasks) {
       tree = taskTree(gulpInst.tasks);
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + chalk.magenta(tildify(env.configPath));
diff --git a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.1/index.js b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.1/index.js
index 3b3aa0f1..e5f55b1d 100644
--- a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.1/index.js
+++ b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.1/index.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ var stdout = require('mute-stdout');
 var tildify = require('tildify');
 
 var exit = require('../../shared/exit');
-var isString = require('../../shared/is-string');
 
 var logTasks = require('../../shared/log/tasks');
 var logEvents = require('../^4.0.0/log/events');
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasks) {
       tree = {};
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + chalk.magenta(tildify(env.configPath));
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasksJson) {
       tree = {};
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + tildify(env.configPath);
diff --git a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.2/index.js b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.2/index.js
index aba74979..2101557f 100644
--- a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.2/index.js
+++ b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0-alpha.2/index.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ var stdout = require('mute-stdout');
 var tildify = require('tildify');
 
 var exit = require('../../shared/exit');
-var isString = require('../../shared/is-string');
 
 var logTasks = require('../../shared/log/tasks');
 var logEvents = require('../^4.0.0/log/events');
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasks) {
       tree = gulpInst.tree({ deep: true });
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + chalk.magenta(tildify(env.configPath));
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasksJson) {
       tree = gulpInst.tree({ deep: true });
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + tildify(env.configPath);
diff --git a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/index.js b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/index.js
index 73c19c8b..d0cc7802 100644
--- a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/index.js
+++ b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/index.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ var stdout = require('mute-stdout');
 var tildify = require('tildify');
 
 var exit = require('../../shared/exit');
-var isString = require('../../shared/is-string');
 
 var logTasks = require('../../shared/log/tasks');
 var logEvents = require('./log/events');
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasks) {
       tree = gulpInst.tree({ deep: true });
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + chalk.magenta(tildify(env.configPath));
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ function execute(opts, env, config) {
     }
     if (opts.tasksJson) {
       tree = gulpInst.tree({ deep: true });
-      if (config.description && isString(config.description)) {
+      if (config.description && typeof config.description === 'string') {
         tree.label = config.description;
       } else {
         tree.label = 'Tasks for ' + tildify(env.configPath);
diff --git a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/log/getTask.js b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/log/getTask.js
index 55f43408..62891192 100644
--- a/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/log/getTask.js
+++ b/lib/versioned/^4.0.0/log/getTask.js
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 
 var isObject = require('isobject');
 
-var isString = require('../../../shared/is-string');
-
 function getTask(gulpInst) {
   return function(name) {
     var task = gulpInst.task(name);
@@ -15,12 +13,12 @@ function getTask(gulpInst) {
 }
 
 function getDescription(task) {
-  if (isString(task.description)) {
+  if (typeof task.description === 'string') {
     return task.description;
   }
   if (typeof task.unwrap === 'function') {
     var origFn = task.unwrap();
-    if (isString(origFn.description)) {
+    if (typeof origFn.description === 'string') {
       return origFn.description;
     }
   }