diff --git a/tests/test_read_ptb.py b/tests/test_read_ptb.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dfc9ba469
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_read_ptb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+from spacy.munge import read_ptb
+
+import pytest
+
+from os import path
+
+ptb_loc = path.join(path.dirname(__file__), 'wsj_0001.parse')
+file3_loc = path.join(path.dirname(__file__), 'wsj_0003.parse')
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def ptb_text():
+    return open(path.join(ptb_loc)).read()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def sentence_strings(ptb_text):
+    return read_ptb.split(ptb_text)
+
+
+def test_split(sentence_strings):
+    assert len(sentence_strings) == 2
+    assert sentence_strings[0].startswith('(TOP (S (NP-SBJ')
+    assert sentence_strings[0].endswith('(. .)))')
+    assert sentence_strings[1].startswith('(TOP (S (NP-SBJ')
+    assert sentence_strings[1].endswith('(. .)))')
+
+
+def test_tree_read(sentence_strings):
+    words, brackets = read_ptb.parse(sentence_strings[0])
+    assert len(brackets) == 11
+    string = ("Pierre Vinken , 61 years old , will join the board as a nonexecutive "
+              "director Nov. 29 .")
+    word_strings = string.split()
+    starts = [s for l, s, e in brackets]
+    ends = [e for l, s, e in brackets]
+    assert min(starts) == 0
+    assert max(ends) == len(words)
+    assert brackets[-1] == ('S', 0, len(words))
+    assert ('NP-SBJ', 0, 7) in brackets
+
+
+def test_traces():
+    sent_strings = sentence_strings(open(file3_loc).read())
+    words, brackets = read_ptb.parse(sent_strings[0])
+    assert len(words) == 36