diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -572,6 +572,111 @@
 
     return finalrs
 
+def _commentlines(raw):
+    '''Surround lineswith a comment char and a new line'''
+    lines = raw.splitlines()
+    commentedlines = ['# %s' % line for line in lines]
+    return '\n'.join(commentedlines) + '\n'
+
+def _conflictsmsg(repo):
+    # avoid merge cycle
+    from . import merge as mergemod
+    mergestate = mergemod.mergestate.read(repo)
+    if not mergestate.active():
+        return
+
+    m = scmutil.match(repo[None])
+    unresolvedlist = [f for f in mergestate if m(f) and mergestate[f] == 'u']
+    if unresolvedlist:
+        mergeliststr = '\n'.join(
+            ['    %s' % os.path.relpath(
+                os.path.join(repo.root, path),
+                pycompat.getcwd()) for path in unresolvedlist])
+        msg = _('''Unresolved merge conflicts:
+
+%s
+
+To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE''') % mergeliststr
+    else:
+        msg = _('No unresolved merge conflicts.')
+
+    return _commentlines(msg)
+
+def _helpmessage(continuecmd, abortcmd):
+    msg = _('To continue:                %s\n'
+            'To abort:                   %s') % (continuecmd, abortcmd)
+    return _commentlines(msg)
+
+def _rebasemsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg rebase --continue', 'hg rebase --abort')
+
+def _histeditmsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg histedit --continue', 'hg histedit --abort')
+
+def _unshelvemsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg unshelve --continue', 'hg unshelve --abort')
+
+def _updatecleanmsg(dest=None):
+    warning = _('warning: this will discard uncommitted changes')
+    return 'hg update --clean %s    (%s)' % (dest or '.', warning)
+
+def _graftmsg():
+    # tweakdefaults requires `update` to have a rev hence the `.`
+    return _helpmessage('hg graft --continue', _updatecleanmsg())
+
+def _mergemsg():
+    # tweakdefaults requires `update` to have a rev hence the `.`
+     return _helpmessage('hg commit', _updatecleanmsg())
+
+def _bisectmsg():
+    msg = _('To mark the changeset good:    hg bisect --good\n'
+            'To mark the changeset bad:     hg bisect --bad\n'
+            'To abort:                      hg bisect --reset\n')
+    return _commentlines(msg)
+
+def fileexistspredicate(filename):
+    return lambda repo: repo.vfs.exists(filename)
+
+def _mergepredicate(repo):
+    return len(repo[None].parents()) > 1
+
+STATES = (
+    # (state, predicate to detect states, helpful message function)
+    ('histedit', fileexistspredicate('histedit-state'), _histeditmsg),
+    ('bisect', fileexistspredicate('bisect.state'), _bisectmsg),
+    ('graft', fileexistspredicate('graftstate'), _graftmsg),
+    ('unshelve', fileexistspredicate('unshelverebasestate'), _unshelvemsg),
+    ('rebase', fileexistspredicate('rebasestate'), _rebasemsg),
+    # The merge state is part of a list that will be iterated over.
+    # They need to be last because some of the other unfinished states may also
+    # be in a merge or update state (eg. rebase, histedit, graft, etc).
+    # We want those to have priority.
+    ('merge', _mergepredicate, _mergemsg),
+)
+
+def _getrepostate(repo):
+    # experimental config: morestatus.skipstates
+    skip = set(repo.ui.configlist('commands', 'status.skipstates'))
+    for state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn in STATES:
+        if state in skip:
+            continue
+        if statedetectionpredicate(repo):
+            return (state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn)
+
+def morestatus(repo, fm):
+    statetuple = _getrepostate(repo)
+    label = 'status.morestatus'
+    if statetuple:
+        fm.startitem()
+        state, statedetectionpredicate, helpfulmsg = statetuple
+        statemsg = _('The repository is in an unfinished *%s* state.') % state
+        fm.write('statemsg', '%s\n',  _commentlines(statemsg), label=label)
+        conmsg = _conflictsmsg(repo)
+        fm.write('conflictsmsg', '%s\n', conmsg, label=label)
+        if helpfulmsg:
+            helpmsg = helpfulmsg()
+            fm.write('helpmsg', '%s\n', helpmsg, label=label)
+
 def findpossible(cmd, table, strict=False):
     """
     Return cmd -> (aliases, command table entry)
diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -4710,6 +4710,19 @@
       files are not considered while tersing until 'i' is there in --terse value
       or the --ignored option is used.
 
+      --verbose option shows more context about the state of the repo
+      like the repository is in unfinised merge, shelve, rebase state etc.
+      You can have this behaviour turned on by default by following config:
+
+      [commands]
+      status.verbose = true
+
+      You can also skip some states like bisect by adding following in
+      configuration file.
+
+      [commands]
+      status.skipstates = bisect
+
       Examples:
 
       - show changes in the working directory relative to a
@@ -4799,6 +4812,10 @@
                 if f in copy:
                     fm.write("copy", '  %s' + end, repo.pathto(copy[f], cwd),
                              label='status.copied')
+
+    if ((ui.verbose or ui.configbool('commands', 'status.verbose'))
+        and not ui.plain()):
+        cmdutil.morestatus(repo, fm)
     fm.end()
 
 @command('^summary|sum',
diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@
 coreconfigitem('commands', 'status.relative',
     default=False,
 )
+coreconfigitem('commands', 'status.skipstates',
+    default=[],
+)
+coreconfigitem('commands', 'status.verbose',
+    default=False,
+)
 coreconfigitem('commands', 'update.requiredest',
     default=False,
 )
diff --git a/tests/test-bisect.t b/tests/test-bisect.t
--- a/tests/test-bisect.t
+++ b/tests/test-bisect.t
@@ -184,6 +184,15 @@
 
   $ hg bisect -r
   $ hg bisect -b
+  $ hg status -v
+  # The repository is in an unfinished *bisect* state.
+  
+  None
+  # To mark the changeset good:    hg bisect --good
+  # To mark the changeset bad:     hg bisect --bad
+  # To abort:                      hg bisect --reset
+  
+  $ hg status -v --config morestatus.skipstates=bisect
   $ hg summary
   parent: 31:58c80a7c8a40 tip
    msg 31
diff --git a/tests/test-conflict.t b/tests/test-conflict.t
--- a/tests/test-conflict.t
+++ b/tests/test-conflict.t
@@ -44,6 +44,23 @@
   $ hg id
   618808747361+c0c68e4fe667+ tip
 
+  $ echo "[commands]" >> $HGRCPATH
+  $ echo "status.verbose=true" >> $HGRCPATH
+  $ hg status
+  M a
+  ? a.orig
+  # The repository is in an unfinished *merge* state.
+  
+  # Unresolved merge conflicts:
+  # 
+  #     a
+  # 
+  # To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE
+  
+  # To continue:                hg commit
+  # To abort:                   hg update --clean .    (warning: this will discard uncommitted changes)
+  
+
   $ cat a
   Small Mathematical Series.
   1
@@ -58,7 +75,7 @@
   >>>>>>> merge rev:    c0c68e4fe667 - test: branch1
   Hop we are done.
 
-  $ hg status
+  $ hg status --config commands.status.verbose=0
   M a
   ? a.orig
 
diff --git a/tests/test-graft.t b/tests/test-graft.t
--- a/tests/test-graft.t
+++ b/tests/test-graft.t
@@ -221,6 +221,25 @@
   $ hg summary |grep graft
   commit: 2 modified, 2 unknown, 1 unresolved (graft in progress)
 
+Using status to get more context
+
+  $ hg status --verbose
+  M d
+  M e
+  ? a.orig
+  ? e.orig
+  # The repository is in an unfinished *graft* state.
+  
+  # Unresolved merge conflicts:
+  # 
+  #     e
+  # 
+  # To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE
+  
+  # To continue:                hg graft --continue
+  # To abort:                   hg update --clean .    (warning: this will discard uncommitted changes)
+  
+
 Commit while interrupted should fail:
 
   $ hg ci -m 'commit interrupted graft'
diff --git a/tests/test-histedit-fold.t b/tests/test-histedit-fold.t
--- a/tests/test-histedit-fold.t
+++ b/tests/test-histedit-fold.t
@@ -294,9 +294,21 @@
   [1]
 There were conflicts, we keep P1 content. This
 should effectively drop the changes from +6.
-  $ hg status
+
+  $ hg status -v
   M file
   ? file.orig
+  # The repository is in an unfinished *histedit* state.
+  
+  # Unresolved merge conflicts:
+  # 
+  #     file
+  # 
+  # To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE
+  
+  # To continue:                hg histedit --continue
+  # To abort:                   hg histedit --abort
+  
   $ hg resolve -l
   U file
   $ hg revert -r 'p1()' file
diff --git a/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t b/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t
--- a/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t
+++ b/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t
@@ -71,6 +71,21 @@
   unresolved conflicts (see hg resolve, then hg rebase --continue)
   [1]
 
+  $ hg status --config commands.status.verbose=1
+  M common
+  ? common.orig
+  # The repository is in an unfinished *rebase* state.
+  
+  # Unresolved merge conflicts:
+  # 
+  #     common
+  # 
+  # To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE
+  
+  # To continue:                hg rebase --continue
+  # To abort:                   hg rebase --abort
+  
+
 Try to continue without solving the conflict:
 
   $ hg rebase --continue
diff --git a/tests/test-shelve.t b/tests/test-shelve.t
--- a/tests/test-shelve.t
+++ b/tests/test-shelve.t
@@ -342,6 +342,23 @@
   warning: conflicts while merging a/a! (edit, then use 'hg resolve --mark')
   unresolved conflicts (see 'hg resolve', then 'hg unshelve --continue')
   [1]
+  $ hg status -v
+  M a/a
+  M b.rename/b
+  M c.copy
+  R b/b
+  ? a/a.orig
+  # The repository is in an unfinished *unshelve* state.
+  
+  # Unresolved merge conflicts:
+  # 
+  #     a/a
+  # 
+  # To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE
+  
+  # To continue:                hg unshelve --continue
+  # To abort:                   hg unshelve --abort
+  
 
 ensure that we have a merge with unresolved conflicts