Specifying :partial is required when passing additional options such as :layout

railties/guides/source/layouts_and_rendering.textile

@@ -1006,11 +1006,13 @@ h5. Partial Layouts
 A partial can use its own layout file, just as a view can use a layout. For example, you might call a partial like this:
 
 <erb>
-<%= render "link_area", :layout => "graybar" %>
+<%= render :partial => "link_area", :layout => "graybar" %>
 </erb>
 
 This would look for a partial named +_link_area.html.erb+ and render it using the layout +_graybar.html.erb+. Note that layouts for partials follow the same leading-underscore naming as regular partials, and are placed in the same folder with the partial that they belong to (not in the master +layouts+ folder).
 
+Also note that explicitly specifying +:partial+ is required when passing additional options such as +:layout+.
+
 h5. Passing Local Variables
 
 You can also pass local variables into partials, making them even more powerful and flexible. For example, you can use this technique to reduce duplication between new and edit pages, while still keeping a bit of distinct content: