diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d134a5c..24591d3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,11 +22,12 @@ MLJ user. Rather, MLJTuning is a dependency of the
 learning platform, which allows MLJ users to perform a variety of
 hyperparameter optimization tasks from there.
   
-MLJTUning is the place for developers to integrate hyperparameter
+MLJTuning is the place for developers to integrate hyperparameter
 optimization algorithms (here called *tuning strategies*) into MLJ,
 either by adding code to [/src/strategies](/src/strategies), or by
-importing MLJTuning into a third-pary package and and implementing
-MLJTuning's interface.
+importing MLJTuning into a third-pary package and implementing
+MLJTuning's [tuning strategy
+interface](#implementing-a-new-tuning-strategy).
   
 MLJTuning is a component of the [MLJ
   stack](https://github.com/alan-turing-institute/MLJ.jl#the-mlj-universe)
@@ -49,9 +50,10 @@ This repository contains:
   hyperparameters (using cross-validation or other resampling
   strategy) before training the optimal model on all supplied data
 
-- an abstract **tuning strategy interface** to allow developers to
-  conveniently implement common hyperparameter optimization
-  strategies, such as:
+- an abstract **[tuning strategy
+  interface]((#implementing-a-new-tuning-strategy))** to allow
+  developers to conveniently implement common hyperparameter
+  optimization strategies, such as:
 
   - [x] search a list of explicitly specified models `list = [model1,
 	model2, ...]`
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ elaboration on those terms given in *italics*.
 
 All tuning in MLJ is conceptualized as an iterative procedure, each
 iteration corresponding to a performance *evaluation* of a single
-*model*. Each such model is a mutation of a fixed *prototype*. In the
+*model*. Each such model is a mutated clone of a fixed prototype. In the
 general case, this prototype is a composite model, i.e., a model with
 other models as hyperparameters, and while the type of the prototype
 mutations is fixed, the types of the sub-models are allowed to vary.
@@ -293,7 +295,7 @@ preferred "central value". These default to `(upper - lower)/2` and
 `(upper + lower)/2`, respectively, in the bounded case (neither `upper
 = Inf` nor `lower = -Inf`). The fields `origin` and `unit` are used in
 generating grids for unbounded ranges (and could be used in other
-strategies for fitting two-parameter probability distributions, for
+strategies - for fitting two-parameter probability distributions, for
 example).
 
 A `ParamRange` object is always associated with the name of a
diff --git a/src/inhomogeneous_list.jl b/src/inhomogeneous_list.jl
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/src/learning_curves.jl b/src/learning_curves.jl
index e8e0d14..4ca1bef 100644
--- a/src/learning_curves.jl
+++ b/src/learning_curves.jl
@@ -57,29 +57,39 @@ plot!(curves.parameter_values,
      curves.measurements,
      xlab=curves.parameter_name,
      ylab="Holdout estimate of RMS error")
+
+
 ```
+    learning_curve(model::Supervised, X, y; kwargs...)
+    learning_curve(model::Supervised, X, y, w; kwargs...)
+
+Plot a learning curve (or curves) directly, without first constructing
+a machine.
 
 """
-function learning_curve(mach::Machine{<:Supervised};
-                         resolution=30,
-                         resampling=Holdout(),
-                         weights=nothing,
-                         measure=nothing,
-                         operation=predict,
-                         range::Union{Nothing,ParamRange}=nothing,
-                         repeats=1,
-                         acceleration=default_resource(),
-                         acceleration_grid=CPU1(),
-                         verbosity=1,
-                         rngs=nothing,
-                         rng_name=nothing,
-                         check_measure=true)
-
-    if measure == nothing
-        measure = default_measure(mach.model)
-        verbosity < 1 ||
-            @info "No measure specified. Using measure=$measure. "
-    end
+learning_curve(mach::Machine{<:Supervised}; kwargs...) =
+    learning_curve(mach.model, mach.args...; kwargs...)
+
+# for backwards compatibility
+learning_curve!(mach::Machine{<:Supervised}; kwargs...) =
+    learning_curve(mach; kwargs...)
+
+function learning_curve(model::Supervised, args...;
+                        resolution=30,
+                        resampling=Holdout(),
+                        weights=nothing,
+                        measures=nothing,
+                        measure=measures,
+                        operation=predict,
+                        ranges::Union{Nothing,ParamRange}=nothing,
+                        range::Union{Nothing,ParamRange},
+                        repeats=1,
+                        acceleration=default_resource(),
+                        acceleration_grid=CPU1(),
+                        verbosity=1,
+                        rngs=nothing,
+                        rng_name=nothing,
+                        check_measure=true)
 
     range !== nothing || error("No param range specified. Use range=... ")
 
@@ -97,7 +107,7 @@ function learning_curve(mach::Machine{<:Supervised};
         end
     end
 
-    tuned_model = TunedModel(model=mach.model,
+    tuned_model = TunedModel(model=model,
                              range=range,
                              tuning=Grid(resolution=resolution,
                                          shuffle=false),
@@ -109,7 +119,7 @@ function learning_curve(mach::Machine{<:Supervised};
                              repeats=repeats,
                              acceleration=acceleration_grid)
 
-    tuned = machine(tuned_model, mach.args...)
+    tuned = machine(tuned_model, args...)
 
     results = _tuning_results(rngs, acceleration, tuned, rng_name, verbosity)
 
@@ -117,7 +127,6 @@ function learning_curve(mach::Machine{<:Supervised};
     parameter_scale=results.parameter_scales[1]
     parameter_values=[results.parameter_values[:, 1]...]
     measurements = results.measurements
-    measurements = (rngs == nothing) ? [measurements...] : measurements
 
     return (parameter_name=parameter_name,
             parameter_scale=parameter_scale,
@@ -176,18 +185,3 @@ function _tuning_results(rngs::AbstractVector, acceleration::CPUProcesses,
     return ret
 end
 
-learning_curve!(machine::Machine, args...) =
-    learning_curve(machine, args...)
-
-"""
-    learning_curve(model::Supervised, args...; kwargs...)
-
-Plot a learning curve (or curves) without first constructing a
-machine. Equivalent to `learing_curve(machine(model, args...);
-kwargs...)
-
-See [learning_curve](@ref)
-
-"""
-learning_curve(model::Supervised, args...; kwargs...) =
-    learning_curve(machine(model, args...); kwargs...)
diff --git a/test/learning_curves.jl b/test/learning_curves.jl
index a6278bf..cb8fed3 100644
--- a/test/learning_curves.jl
+++ b/test/learning_curves.jl
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ y = 2*x1 .+ 5*x2 .- 3*x3 .+ 0.2*rand(100);
                              rng_name=:rng)
     @test curves2.measurements ≈ curves.measurements
 
+    # alternative signature:
+    curves3 = learning_curve(ensemble, X, y; range=r_n, resolution=7,
+                             acceleration=accel,
+                             rngs = 3,
+                             rng_name=:rng)
+
+    @test curves2.measurements ≈ curves3.measurements
+
 end
 
 end # module