diff --git a/dlib/svm/ranking_tools.h b/dlib/svm/ranking_tools.h
index 6aa344c70..da06004f4 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/ranking_tools.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/ranking_tools.h
@@ -243,6 +243,20 @@ namespace dlib
         return static_cast<double>(total_pairs - total_wrong) / total_pairs;
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    template <
+        typename ranking_function,
+        typename T
+        >
+    double test_ranking_function (
+        const ranking_function& funct,
+        const ranking_pair<T>& sample
+    )
+    {
+        return test_ranking_function(funct, std::vector<ranking_pair<T> >(1,sample));
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     template <
diff --git a/dlib/svm/ranking_tools_abstract.h b/dlib/svm/ranking_tools_abstract.h
index 77d5e267f..370ade85e 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/ranking_tools_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/ranking_tools_abstract.h
@@ -178,6 +178,28 @@ namespace dlib
                   (for all valid i,j,k)
     !*/
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    template <
+        typename ranking_function,
+        typename T
+        >
+    double test_ranking_function (
+        const ranking_function& funct,
+        const ranking_pair<T>& sample
+    );
+    /*!
+        requires
+            - is_ranking_problem(std::vector<ranking_pair<T> >(1, sample)) == true
+            - ranking_function == some kind of decision function object (e.g. decision_function)
+        ensures
+            - This is just a convenience routine for calling the above
+              test_ranking_function() routine.  That is, it just copies sample into a
+              std::vector object and invokes the above test_ranking_function() routine.
+              This means that calling this function is equivalent to invoking: 
+                return test_ranking_function(funct, std::vector<ranking_pair<T> >(1, sample));
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     template <
diff --git a/dlib/svm/svm_rank_trainer_abstract.h b/dlib/svm/svm_rank_trainer_abstract.h
index 8921dd376..22617ffff 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/svm_rank_trainer_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/svm_rank_trainer_abstract.h
@@ -218,9 +218,9 @@ namespace dlib
                 - is_ranking_problem(std::vector<ranking_pair<sample_type> >(1, sample)) == true
             ensures
                 - This is just a convenience routine for calling the above train()
-                  function.  That is, it just copies sample into an appropriate std::vector
-                  object and invokes the above train() method.  That is, this function is
-                  equivalent to invoking: 
+                  function.  That is, it just copies sample into a std::vector object and
+                  invokes the above train() method.  This means that calling this function
+                  is equivalent to invoking: 
                     return train(std::vector<ranking_pair<sample_type> >(1, sample));
         !*/