diff --git a/parser/argument.go b/parser/argument.go
index 5332e2b..1185ec0 100644
--- a/parser/argument.go
+++ b/parser/argument.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ var validArgumentStartTokens = []lexer.TokenKind {
 	lexer.TokenKindUInt,
 	lexer.TokenKindFloat,
 	lexer.TokenKindString,
-	lexer.TokenKindRune,
 	
 	lexer.TokenKindLBracket,
 	lexer.TokenKindLParen,
@@ -78,11 +77,6 @@ func (parser *ParsingOperation) parseArgument () (argument Argument, err error)
 		argument.value = parser.token.Value().(string)
 		parser.nextToken()
 		
-	case lexer.TokenKindRune:
-		argument.kind  = ArgumentKindRune
-		argument.value = parser.token.Value().(rune)
-		parser.nextToken()
-		
 	case lexer.TokenKindLBracket:
 		argument.kind  = ArgumentKindPhrase
 		argument.value, err = parser.parseArgumentLevelPhrase()
diff --git a/parser/tree-tostring.go b/parser/tree-tostring.go
index ab75531..0ab3946 100644
--- a/parser/tree-tostring.go
+++ b/parser/tree-tostring.go
@@ -153,13 +153,7 @@ func (argument Argument) ToString (indent int, breakLine bool) (output string) {
 	case ArgumentKindString:
 		output += doIndent (
 			indent,
-			"\"" + argument.value.(string) + "\"")
-		if breakLine { output += "\n" }
-		
-	case ArgumentKindRune:
-		output += doIndent (
-			indent,
-			"'" + string(argument.value.(rune)) + "'")
+			"'" + argument.value.(string) + "'")
 		if breakLine { output += "\n" }
 	}
 
diff --git a/parser/tree.go b/parser/tree.go
index f46e053..0b3f09f 100644
--- a/parser/tree.go
+++ b/parser/tree.go
@@ -123,11 +123,8 @@ const (
 	// 0.44
 	ArgumentKindFloat
 
-	// "hello world"
+	// 'hello world'
 	ArgumentKindString
-
-	// 'S'
-	ArgumentKindRune
 )
 
 // Argument represents a value that can be placed anywhere a value goes. This
diff --git a/tests/parser/full/main.arf b/tests/parser/full/main.arf
index 0817ddd..1187b90 100644
--- a/tests/parser/full/main.arf
+++ b/tests/parser/full/main.arf
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ require "io"
 ---
 
 # this is a global variable
-data pv helloText:String "Hello, world!"
+data pv helloText:String 'Hello, world!'
 
 # this is a struct definition
 objt ro Greeter:Obj
-	rw text:String "Hi."
+	rw text:String 'Hi.'
 
 # this is a function
 func ro main
diff --git a/tests/parser/meta/meta.arf b/tests/parser/meta/meta.arf
index 8ea66e1..6eae161 100644
--- a/tests/parser/meta/meta.arf
+++ b/tests/parser/meta/meta.arf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 :arf
-author "Sasha Koshka"
-license "GPLv3"
-require "./some/local/module"
-require "/some/absolute/path/to/someModule"
-require "someLibraryInstalledInStandardLocation"
+author 'Sasha Koshka'
+license 'GPLv3'
+require './some/local/module'
+require '/some/absolute/path/to/someModule'
+require 'someLibraryInstalledInStandardLocation'
 ---
diff --git a/tests/parser/skim/main.arf b/tests/parser/skim/main.arf
index e2bfed6..3bf5aa9 100644
--- a/tests/parser/skim/main.arf
+++ b/tests/parser/skim/main.arf
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ data ro aExternalData:Int
 data ro bSingleValue:Int 342
 
 data ro cNestedObject:Obj (
-	(324 "hello world")
+	(324 'hello world')
 	(123.8439 9328.21348239)
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/parser/type/main.arf b/tests/parser/type/main.arf
index 7236678..a415b7d 100644
--- a/tests/parser/type/main.arf
+++ b/tests/parser/type/main.arf
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ type ro bBitFields:Obj
 	ro this:Int 298 & 24
 
 type ro cInit:Obj
-	ro that:String "hello world"
+	ro that:String 'hello world'
 	ro this:Int    23
 
 # the semantic analyzer should let these sections restrict the permissions of
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ type ro eInitAndDefine:aBasic
 	ro born:Int 4
 	ro in:Int
 	ro the:Int:3 (9348 92384 92834)
-	ro walls:String "live in the walls, die in the walls."
+	ro walls:String 'live in the walls, die in the walls.'
 
 type ro fBasic:Int