diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6903e26..40ae135 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ program = [ "type" type_definitions ";" ]
     [ constant_part ]
     { procedure_definition }
     [ variable_part ]
-    compound_statement ".";
+    "begin" [ statement_list ] "end" ".";
 
 procedure_definition = "proc" ident formal_parameter_list ";" ( block | "extern" ) ";";
 
@@ -45,14 +45,18 @@ block = [ constant_part ]
 constant_part = "const" ident "=" integer { "," ident "=" integer } ";";
 variable_part = "var" variable_declarations ";";
 
-statement = compound_statement
-          | ident ":=" expression
+statement = ident ":=" expression
           | ident actual_parameter_list
-          | "while" condition "do" statement
-          | "if" expression "then" statement [ else statement ];
+          | while_do
+          | if_then_else;
+
+
+while_do = "while" condition "do" [ statement_list ] "end";
+if_then_else = "if" expression
+    "then" [ statement_list ]
+    [ else statement_list ] "end";
 
 statement_list = statement {";" statement };
-compound_statement = "begin" [ statement_list ] "end";
 
 condition = "odd" expression |
             expression ("="|"#"|"<"|"<="|">"|">=") expression;
@@ -86,7 +90,7 @@ variable_declarations = variable_declaration { ";" variable_declaration };
 variable_declaration = ident ":" type_expression;
 
 type_expression = "array" integer "of" type_expression
-                | "^" type_expression
+                | "pointer" "to" type_expression
                 | "record" field_list "end"
                 | ident;
 
diff --git a/include/elna/source/ast.h b/include/elna/source/ast.h
index dd99e53..95e9a74 100644
--- a/include/elna/source/ast.h
+++ b/include/elna/source/ast.h
@@ -443,13 +443,11 @@ namespace source
 
     class compound_statement : public statement
     {
-        std::vector<statement *> m_statements;
-
     public:
-        explicit compound_statement(const struct position position);
-        virtual void accept(parser_visitor *visitor) override;
+        std::vector<statement *> statements;
 
-        std::vector<statement *>& statements();
+        compound_statement(const struct position position, std::vector<statement *>&& statements);
+        virtual void accept(parser_visitor *visitor) override;
 
         virtual ~compound_statement() override;
     };
@@ -556,8 +554,8 @@ namespace source
     class if_statement : public statement
     {
         expression *m_prerequisite;
-        statement *m_body;
-        statement *m_alternative;
+        compound_statement *m_body;
+        compound_statement *m_alternative;
 
     public:
         /**
@@ -567,12 +565,12 @@ namespace source
          * \param alternative Statement executed if the condition is not met.
          */
         if_statement(const struct position position, expression *prerequisite,
-                statement *body, statement *alternative = nullptr);
+                compound_statement *body, compound_statement *alternative = nullptr);
         virtual void accept(parser_visitor *visitor) override;
 
         expression& prerequisite();
-        statement& body();
-        statement *alternative();
+        compound_statement& body();
+        compound_statement *alternative();
 
         virtual ~if_statement() override;
     };
@@ -583,7 +581,7 @@ namespace source
     class while_statement : public statement
     {
         expression *m_prerequisite;
-        statement *m_body;
+        compound_statement *m_body;
 
     public:
         /**
@@ -592,11 +590,11 @@ namespace source
          * \param body Statement executed while the condition is met.
          */
         while_statement(const struct position position, expression *prerequisite,
-                statement *body);
+                compound_statement *body);
         virtual void accept(parser_visitor *visitor) override;
 
         expression& prerequisite();
-        statement& body();
+        compound_statement& body();
 
         virtual ~while_statement() override;
     };
diff --git a/source/ast.cc b/source/ast.cc
index fdbe984..5f8b90c 100644
--- a/source/ast.cc
+++ b/source/ast.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ namespace source
 
     void empty_visitor::visit(compound_statement *statement)
     {
-        for (auto& nested_statement : statement->statements())
+        for (const auto nested_statement : statement->statements)
         {
             nested_statement->accept(this);
         }
@@ -766,8 +766,8 @@ namespace source
         }
     }
 
-    compound_statement::compound_statement(const struct position position)
-        : statement(position)
+    compound_statement::compound_statement(const struct position position, std::vector<statement *>&& statements)
+        : statement(position), statements(std::move(statements))
     {
     }
 
@@ -776,14 +776,9 @@ namespace source
         visitor->visit(this);
     }
 
-    std::vector<statement *>& compound_statement::statements()
-    {
-        return m_statements;
-    }
-
     compound_statement::~compound_statement()
     {
-        for (auto statement : m_statements)
+        for (auto statement : statements)
         {
             delete statement;
         }
@@ -836,7 +831,7 @@ namespace source
     }
 
     if_statement::if_statement(const struct position position, expression *prerequisite,
-            statement *body, statement *alternative)
+            compound_statement *body, compound_statement *alternative)
         : statement(position), m_prerequisite(prerequisite), m_body(body),
         m_alternative(alternative)
     {
@@ -852,12 +847,12 @@ namespace source
         return *m_prerequisite;
     }
 
-    statement& if_statement::body()
+    compound_statement& if_statement::body()
     {
         return *m_body;
     }
 
-    statement *if_statement::alternative()
+    compound_statement *if_statement::alternative()
     {
         return m_alternative;
     }
@@ -874,7 +869,7 @@ namespace source
     }
 
     while_statement::while_statement(const struct position position, expression *prerequisite,
-            statement *body)
+            compound_statement *body)
         : statement(position), m_prerequisite(prerequisite), m_body(body)
     {
     }
@@ -889,7 +884,7 @@ namespace source
         return *m_prerequisite;
     }
 
-    statement& while_statement::body()
+    compound_statement& while_statement::body()
     {
         return *m_body;
     }
diff --git a/source/lexer.ll b/source/lexer.ll
index 6f5c397..4ab1d35 100644
--- a/source/lexer.ll
+++ b/source/lexer.ll
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ type                    {
 record                  {
                             return yy::parser::make_RECORD(this->location);
                         }
+pointer                 {
+                            return yy::parser::make_POINTER(this->location);
+                        }
+to                      {
+                            return yy::parser::make_TO(this->location);
+                        }
 true                    {
                             return yy::parser::make_BOOLEAN(true, this->location);
                         }
diff --git a/source/parser.yy b/source/parser.yy
index 57aaf5a..3529352 100644
--- a/source/parser.yy
+++ b/source/parser.yy
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@
 %token <std::string> CHARACTER "character"
 %token <std::string> STRING "string"
 %token <bool> BOOLEAN
-%token IF WHILE DO
-%token CONST VAR PROCEDURE ARRAY OF TYPE RECORD
+%token IF WHILE DO THEN ELSE
+%token CONST VAR PROCEDURE ARRAY OF TYPE RECORD POINTER TO
 %token BEGIN_BLOCK END_BLOCK EXTERN
 %token LEFT_PAREN RIGHT_PAREN LEFT_SQUARE RIGHT_SQUARE SEMICOLON DOT COMMA
 %token AND OR NOT
@@ -71,9 +71,6 @@
 %token PLUS MINUS MULTIPLICATION DIVISION
 %token ASSIGNMENT COLON HAT AT
 
-%precedence THEN
-%precedence ELSE
-
 %type <elna::source::literal *> literal;
 %type <elna::source::constant_definition *> constant_definition;
 %type <std::vector<elna::source::constant_definition *>> constant_part constant_definitions;
@@ -84,7 +81,6 @@
 %type <elna::source::expression *> expression pointer summand factor comparand logical_operand;
 %type <std::vector<elna::source::expression *>> expressions actual_parameter_list;
 %type <elna::source::designator_expression *> designator_expression;
-%type <elna::source::compound_statement *> compound_statement;
 %type <elna::source::assign_statement *> assign_statement;
 %type <elna::source::call_statement *> call_statement;
 %type <elna::source::while_statement *> while_statement;
@@ -167,11 +163,6 @@ procedure_definitions:
 procedure_part:
     /* no procedure definitions */ {}
     | procedure_definitions { std::swap($$, $1); }
-compound_statement: BEGIN_BLOCK optional_statements END_BLOCK
-        {
-            $$ = new elna::source::compound_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1));
-            std::swap($$->statements(), $2);
-        }
 assign_statement: designator_expression ASSIGNMENT expression
         {
             $$ = new elna::source::assign_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1), $1, $3);
@@ -181,21 +172,22 @@ call_statement: IDENTIFIER actual_parameter_list
             $$ = new elna::source::call_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1), $1);
             std::swap($$->arguments(), $2);
         }
-while_statement: WHILE expression DO statement
+while_statement: WHILE expression DO optional_statements END_BLOCK
         {
-            $$ = new elna::source::while_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1),
-                $2, $4);
+            auto body = new elna::source::compound_statement(elna::source::make_position(@3), std::move($4));
+            $$ = new elna::source::while_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1), $2, body);
         }
 if_statement:
-    IF expression THEN statement
+    IF expression THEN optional_statements END_BLOCK
         {
-            $$ = new elna::source::if_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1),
-                $2, $4);
+            auto then = new elna::source::compound_statement(elna::source::make_position(@3), std::move($4));
+            $$ = new elna::source::if_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1), $2, then);
         }
-    | IF expression THEN statement ELSE statement
+    | IF expression THEN optional_statements ELSE optional_statements END_BLOCK
         {
-            $$ = new elna::source::if_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1),
-                $2, $4, $6);
+            auto then = new elna::source::compound_statement(elna::source::make_position(@3), std::move($4));
+            auto _else = new elna::source::compound_statement(elna::source::make_position(@5), std::move($6));
+            $$ = new elna::source::if_statement(elna::source::make_position(@1), $2, then, _else);
         }
 literal:
     INTEGER
@@ -315,8 +307,7 @@ designator_expression:
             $$ = new elna::source::variable_expression(elna::source::make_position(@1), $1);
         }
 statement:
-    compound_statement { $$ = $1; }
-    | assign_statement { $$ = $1; }
+    assign_statement { $$ = $1; }
     | call_statement { $$ = $1; }
     | while_statement { $$ = $1; }
     | if_statement { $$ = $1; }
@@ -344,9 +335,9 @@ type_expression:
         {
             $$ = new elna::source::array_type_expression(elna::source::make_position(@1), $4, $2);
         }
-    | HAT type_expression
+    | POINTER TO type_expression
         {
-            $$ = new elna::source::pointer_type_expression(elna::source::make_position(@1), $2);
+            $$ = new elna::source::pointer_type_expression(elna::source::make_position(@1), $3);
         }
     | RECORD field_list END_BLOCK
         {