diff --git a/analyzer/literals.go b/analyzer/literals.go
index c1cc822..ce6fe6d 100644
--- a/analyzer/literals.go
+++ b/analyzer/literals.go
@@ -42,23 +42,11 @@ func (literal IntLiteral) What () (what Type) {
 // canBePassedAs returns true if this literal can be implicitly cast to the
 // specified type, and false if it can't.
 func (literal IntLiteral) canBePassedAs (what Type) (allowed bool) {
-	// must be a singlular value
-	if !what.isSingular() { return }
-	
-	// can be passed to types that are signed numbers at a primitive level.
-	primitive := what.underlyingPrimitive()
-	switch primitive {
-	case
-		&PrimitiveF64,
-		&PrimitiveF32,
-		&PrimitiveI64,
-		&PrimitiveI32,
-		&PrimitiveI16,
-		&PrimitiveI8,
-		&PrimitiveInt:
-
-		allowed = true
-	}
+	// can be passed to singular types that are signed numbers at a
+	// primitive level.
+	allowed =
+		what.isSingular() &&
+		what.isSignedNumeric()
 	return
 }
 
@@ -78,28 +66,10 @@ func (literal UIntLiteral) What () (what Type) {
 // canBePassedAs returns true if this literal can be implicitly cast to the
 // specified type, and false if it can't.
 func (literal UIntLiteral) canBePassedAs (what Type) (allowed bool) {
-	// must be a singlular value
-	if !what.isSingular() { return }
-	
-	// can be passed to types that are numbers at a primitive level.
-	primitive := what.underlyingPrimitive()
-	switch primitive {
-	case
-		&PrimitiveF64,
-		&PrimitiveF32,
-		&PrimitiveI64,
-		&PrimitiveI32,
-		&PrimitiveI16,
-		&PrimitiveI8,
-		&PrimitiveInt,
-		&PrimitiveU64,
-		&PrimitiveU32,
-		&PrimitiveU16,
-		&PrimitiveU8,
-		&PrimitiveUInt:
-
-		allowed = true
-	}
+	// can be passed to singular types that are numbers at a primitive level.
+	allowed =
+		what.isSingular() &&
+		what.isNumeric()
 	return
 }
 
@@ -167,23 +137,6 @@ func (literal StringLiteral) canBePassedAs (what Type) (allowed bool) {
 		what = reduced
 	}
 
-	primitive := what.underlyingPrimitive()
-	switch primitive {
-	case
-		&PrimitiveF64,
-		&PrimitiveF32,
-		&PrimitiveI64,
-		&PrimitiveI32,
-		&PrimitiveI16,
-		&PrimitiveI8,
-		&PrimitiveInt,
-		&PrimitiveU64,
-		&PrimitiveU32,
-		&PrimitiveU16,
-		&PrimitiveU8,
-		&PrimitiveUInt:
-
-		allowed = true
-	}
+	allowed = what.isNumeric()
 	return
 }
diff --git a/analyzer/type.go b/analyzer/type.go
index 4c53342..513abfc 100644
--- a/analyzer/type.go
+++ b/analyzer/type.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func (what Type) underlyingPrimitive () (underlying *TypeSection) {
 			underlying =
 				actual.(*TypeSection).
 				what.underlyingPrimitive()
+		
 		// case *FaceSection:
 			// TODO: depending on if this is an object interface or
 			// a function interface, return either Face or Func.
@@ -139,6 +140,50 @@ func (what Type) underlyingPrimitive () (underlying *TypeSection) {
 	}
 }
 
+// isNumeric returns whether or not the type descends from a numeric primitive.
+func (what Type) isNumeric () (numeric bool) {
+	primitive := what.underlyingPrimitive()
+	switch primitive {
+	case
+		&PrimitiveF64,
+		&PrimitiveF32,
+		&PrimitiveI64,
+		&PrimitiveI32,
+		&PrimitiveI16,
+		&PrimitiveI8,
+		&PrimitiveInt,
+		&PrimitiveU64,
+		&PrimitiveU32,
+		&PrimitiveU16,
+		&PrimitiveU8,
+		&PrimitiveUInt:
+
+		numeric = true
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
+// isSignedNumeric returns whether or not the type descends from a signed
+// numeric primitive.
+func (what Type) isSignedNumeric () (signedNumeric bool) {
+	primitive := what.underlyingPrimitive()
+	switch primitive {
+	case
+		&PrimitiveF64,
+		&PrimitiveF32,
+		&PrimitiveI64,
+		&PrimitiveI32,
+		&PrimitiveI16,
+		&PrimitiveI8,
+		&PrimitiveInt:
+
+		signedNumeric = true
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
 // isSingular returns whether or not the type is a singular value. this goes
 // all the way up the inheritence chain, only stopping when it hits a non-basic
 // type because this is about data storage of a value.
@@ -163,6 +208,7 @@ func (what Type) isSingular () (singular bool) {
 		switch actual.(type) {
 		case *TypeSection:
 			singular = actual.(*TypeSection).what.isSingular()
+		
 		// TODO: uncomment this when this section has been implemented
 		// case *FaceSection:
 			// singular = true