diff --git a/parse.go b/parse.go
index 2e90250..ec5449f 100644
--- a/parse.go
+++ b/parse.go
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 package jsonast
 
+import (
+	"github.com/go-functional/jsonast/parse"
+)
+
 type state struct {
 	inObj  bool
 	inArr  bool
@@ -12,10 +16,10 @@ func newState() state {
 	return state{}
 }
 
-func (s state) addToken(tkn token) error {
+func (s state) addToken(tkn parse.Token) error {
 	// char := tkn.char
 	switch tkn {
-	case quoteToken:
+	case parse.QuoteToken():
 		if !s.inStr {
 			// start a new string
 		} else {
@@ -33,8 +37,8 @@ func (s state) value() Value {
 // Parse parses jsonStr from JSON to a Value. Returns nil and an appropriate
 // error if jsonStr was an invalid JSON string
 func Parse(jsonStr string) (Value, error) {
-	tokensCh := make(chan token)
-	go tokenize(jsonStr, tokensCh)
+	tokensCh := make(chan parse.Token)
+	go parse.Tokenize(jsonStr, tokensCh)
 	st := newState()
 	for token := range tokensCh {
 		if err := st.addToken(token); err != nil {
diff --git a/parse/pattern.go b/parse/pattern.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33f0a35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse/pattern.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package parse
+
+// Pattern is the interface to match a token or tokens
+type Pattern interface {
+	IsValid(tkn Token) bool
+	IsOpen() bool
+}
+
+type singleTokenPattern struct {
+	expected Token
+	found    bool
+}
+
+func (s singleTokenPattern) IsValid(tkn Token) bool {
+	return tkn == s.expected
+}
+
+func (s singleTokenPattern) IsOpen() bool {
+	return !s.found
+}
+
+type zeroOrMoreIdenticalTokensPattern struct {
+	expected Token
+}
+
+func (z zeroOrMoreIdenticalTokensPattern) IsValid(tkn Token) bool {
+	return tkn == z.expected
+}
+
+func (z zeroOrMoreIdenticalTokensPattern) IsOpen() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
diff --git a/parse/string_pattern.go b/parse/string_pattern.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b1435e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse/string_pattern.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package parse
+
+type StringPattern struct {
+	openQuote  bool
+	closeQuote bool
+	str        string
+}
+
+func (s *StringPattern) IsValid(tkn Token) bool {
+	if !s.openQuote && tkn == QuoteToken() {
+		// no open quote yet and we found one means string start
+		s.openQuote = true
+		s.str += tkn.Char
+		return true
+	}
+	if !s.openQuote && tkn != QuoteToken() {
+		// no open quote yet and we didn't see one means invalid string
+		return false
+	}
+	if s.openQuote && tkn == QuoteToken() {
+		// open quote found and we see another means closed quote
+		s.closeQuote = true
+		s.str += tkn.Char
+		return true
+	}
+	s.str += tkn.Char
+	return true
+}
+
+func (s *StringPattern) IsOpen() bool {
+	// pattern is still open if we haven't found the close quote yet
+	return !s.closeQuote
+}
diff --git a/parse/token.go b/parse/token.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0820950
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse/token.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package parse
+
+// Token represents a single token in the parser
+type Token struct {
+	Char string
+}
+
+func (t Token) IsDigit() bool {
+	r := t.Char
+	return r == "0" ||
+		r == "1" ||
+		r == "2" ||
+		r == "3" ||
+		r == "4" ||
+		r == "5" ||
+		r == "6" ||
+		r == "7" ||
+		r == "8" ||
+		r == "9"
+}
+
+func CommaToken() Token {
+	return Token{Char: `,`}
+}
+func QuoteToken() Token {
+	return Token{Char: `"`}
+}
+
+func ArrayStartToken() Token {
+	return Token{Char: `[`}
+}
+
+func ArrayEndToken() Token {
+	return Token{Char: `]`}
+}
+
+func ObjectStartToken() Token {
+	return Token{Char: `{`}
+}
+func ObjectEndToken() Token {
+	return Token{Char: `}`}
+}
+
+func Tokenize(str string, ch chan<- Token) {
+	for _, char := range str {
+		var tkn Token
+		if char == ',' {
+			tkn = CommaToken()
+		} else if char == '"' {
+			tkn = QuoteToken()
+		} else if char == '[' {
+			tkn = ArrayStartToken()
+		} else if char == ']' {
+			tkn = ArrayEndToken()
+		} else if char == '{' {
+			tkn = ObjectStartToken()
+		} else if char == '}' {
+			tkn = ObjectEndToken()
+		} else {
+			tkn = Token{Char: string(char)}
+		}
+		ch <- tkn
+	}
+	close(ch)
+}
diff --git a/string.go b/string.go
index 6e9e631..03ff7d1 100644
--- a/string.go
+++ b/string.go
@@ -28,3 +28,17 @@ func newString(str string) String {
 		str:   str,
 	}
 }
+
+func appendStringToValue(v Value, s string) (Value, error) {
+	switch x := v.(type) {
+	case stringImpl:
+		x.str += s
+		return x, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("trying to append a string to a %#v", v)
+	}
+}
+
+// func stringParser() (parsePattern, bool) {
+// 	return newParsePattern(quoteToken, zeroOrMore(charToken), quoteToken)
+// }
diff --git a/token.go b/token.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 48b9bf0..0000000
--- a/token.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-package jsonast
-
-type token struct {
-	char string
-}
-
-func (t token) isDigit() bool {
-	r := t.char
-	return r == "0" ||
-		r == "1" ||
-		r == "2" ||
-		r == "3" ||
-		r == "4" ||
-		r == "5" ||
-		r == "6" ||
-		r == "7" ||
-		r == "8" ||
-		r == "9"
-}
-
-var commaToken = token{char: `,`}
-var quoteToken = token{char: `"`}
-var arrayStartToken = token{char: `[`}
-var arrayEndToken = token{char: `]`}
-var objectStartToken = token{char: `{`}
-var objectEndToken = token{char: `}`}
-
-func tokenize(str string, ch chan<- token) {
-	for _, char := range str {
-		var tkn token
-		if char == ',' {
-			tkn = commaToken
-		} else if char == '"' {
-			tkn = quoteToken
-		} else if char == '[' {
-			tkn = arrayStartToken
-		} else if char == ']' {
-			tkn = arrayEndToken
-		} else if char == '{' {
-			tkn = objectStartToken
-		} else if char == '}' {
-			tkn = objectEndToken
-		} else {
-			tkn = token{char: string(char)}
-		}
-		ch <- tkn
-	}
-	close(ch)
-}