diff --git a/tests/basics/run-tests b/tests/basics/run-tests
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6315b67509
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/run-tests
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+RM="/bin/rm -f"
+CPYTHON3=python3
+MP_PY=../../unix/py
+
+numtests=0
+numpassed=0
+numfailed=0
+namefailed=
+
+for infile in tests/*.py
+do
+    basename=`basename $infile .c`
+    outfile=${basename}.out
+    expfile=${basename}.exp
+
+    $CPYTHON3 -B $infile > $expfile
+    $MP_PY $infile > $outfile
+
+    diff --brief $expfile $outfile > /dev/null
+
+    if [ $? -eq 0 ]
+    then
+        echo "pass  $infile"
+        $RM $outfile
+        $RM $expfile
+        numpassed=`expr $numpassed + 1`
+    else
+        echo "FAIL  $infile"
+        numfailed=`expr $numfailed + 1`
+        namefailed="$namefailed $basename"
+    fi
+
+    numtests=`expr $numtests + 1`
+done
+
+echo "$numtests tests performed"
+echo "$numpassed tests passed"
+if [ $numfailed -ne 0 ]
+then
+    echo "$numfailed tests failed -$namefailed"
+fi
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/0prelim.py b/tests/basics/tests/0prelim.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2da65dc279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/0prelim.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# all tests need print to work! make sure it does work
+
+print(1)
+print('abc')
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/builtin-len1.py b/tests/basics/tests/builtin-len1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a082394c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/builtin-len1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# builtin len
+
+print(len(()))
+print(len((1,)))
+print(len((1, 2)))
+
+print(len([]))
+x = [1, 2, 3]
+print(len(x))
+
+f = len
+print(f({}))
+print(f({1:2, 3:4}))
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/class1.py b/tests/basics/tests/class1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bf5f08e64e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/class1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# basic class
+
+def go():
+    class C:
+        def f():
+            print(1)
+
+        def g(self):
+            print(2)
+
+        def set(self, value):
+            self.value = value
+
+        def print(self):
+            print(self.value)
+
+    C.f()
+    C()
+    C().g()
+
+    o = C()
+    o.set(3)
+    o.print()
+
+    C.set(o, 4)
+    C.print(o)
+
+go()
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/class2.py b/tests/basics/tests/class2.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0b3b218672
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/class2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# class with __init__
+
+class C1:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.x = 1
+
+c1 = C1()
+print(c1.x)
+
+class C2:
+    def __init__(self, x):
+        self.x = x
+
+c2 = C2(4)
+print(c2.x)
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/comprehension1.py b/tests/basics/tests/comprehension1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f541ee53f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/comprehension1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+def f():
+    # list comprehension
+
+    print([a + 1 for a in range(5)])
+    print([(a, b) for a in range(3) for b in range(2)])
+    print([a * 2 for a in range(7) if a > 3])
+
+    print([a for a in [1, 3, 5]])
+    print([a for a in [a for a in range(4)]])
+
+    # dict comprehension
+
+    d = {a : 2 * a for a in range(5)}
+    print(d[0], d[1], d[2], d[3], d[4])
+
+    # set comprehension
+
+    print({a for a in range(5)})
+
+f()
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/dict1.py b/tests/basics/tests/dict1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1356cd4280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/dict1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# basic dictionary
+
+d = {}
+print(d)
+d[2] = 123
+print(d)
+d = {1:2}
+d[3] = 3
+print(d)
+d[1] = 0
+print(d)
+print(d[1])
+
+x = 1
+while x < 1000:
+    d[x] = x
+    x += 1
+print(d[500])
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/dict2.py b/tests/basics/tests/dict2.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1d5aae576b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/dict2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# using strings as keys in dict
+
+d = {'1': 1, '2': 2}
+print(d['1'], d['2'])
+
+d['3'] = 3
+print(d['1'], d['2'], d['3'])
+
+d['2'] = 222
+print(d['1'], d['2'], d['3'])
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/float1.py b/tests/basics/tests/float1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..200d955856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/float1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# basic float
+x = 1 / 2
+print(x)
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/for1.py b/tests/basics/tests/for1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a2635638d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/for1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# basic for loop
+
+def f():
+    for x in range(2):
+        for y in range(2):
+            for z in range(2):
+                print(x, y, z)
+
+f()
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/fun1.py b/tests/basics/tests/fun1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e12bdbe03e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/fun1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# calling a function
+
+def f():
+    print(1)
+f()
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/fun2.py b/tests/basics/tests/fun2.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3c3e7babf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/fun2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# calling a function from a function
+
+def f(x):
+    print(x + 1)
+
+def g(x):
+    f(2 * x)
+    f(4 * x)
+
+g(3)
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/fun3.py b/tests/basics/tests/fun3.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f1458df823
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/fun3.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# function with large number of arguments
+
+def fun(a, b, c, d, e, f, g):
+    return a + b + c * d + e * f * g
+
+print(fun(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7))
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/generator1.py b/tests/basics/tests/generator1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4028b0ce3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/generator1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+def f(x):
+    print('a')
+    y = x
+    print('b')
+    while y > 0:
+        print('c')
+        y -= 1
+        print('d')
+        yield y
+        print('e')
+    print('f')
+    return None
+
+for val in f(3):
+    print(val)
+
+#gen = f(3)
+#print(gen)
+#print(gen.__next__())
+#print(gen.__next__())
+#print(gen.__next__())
+#print(gen.__next__())
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/lambda1.py b/tests/basics/tests/lambda1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06111d6a93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/lambda1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# lambda
+
+f = lambda x, y: x + 3 * y
+print(f(3, 5))
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/list1.py b/tests/basics/tests/list1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8caa9e17c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/list1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# basic list functionality
+x = [1, 2, 3 * 4]
+print(x)
+x[0] = 4
+print(x)
+x[1] += -4
+print(x)
+x.append(5)
+print(x)
+f = x.append
+f(4)
+print(x)
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/set1.py b/tests/basics/tests/set1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c54fbd8379
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/set1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# basic sets
+
+s = {1}
+print(s)
+
+s = {3, 4, 3, 1}
+print(s)
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/string1.py b/tests/basics/tests/string1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..28aeaddbc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/string1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# basic strings
+
+x = 'abc'
+print(x)
+
+x += 'def'
+print(x)
+
+print('123' + "456")
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/try1.py b/tests/basics/tests/try1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3b85372d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/try1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# basic exceptions
+x = 1
+try:
+    x.a()
+except:
+    print(x)
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/try2.py b/tests/basics/tests/try2.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cca9e039a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/try2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# nested try's
+
+try:
+    print("try 1")
+    try:
+        print("try 2")
+        foo()
+    except:
+        print("except 2")
+    bar()
+except:
+    print("except 1")
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/try3.py b/tests/basics/tests/try3.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31bacd3b36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/try3.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# nested exceptions
+
+def f():
+    try:
+        foo()
+    except:
+        print("except 1")
+        try:
+            baz()
+        except:
+            print("except 2")
+        bar()
+
+try:
+    f()
+except:
+    print("f except")
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/try4.py b/tests/basics/tests/try4.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4d324c1876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/try4.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# triple nested exceptions
+
+def f():
+    try:
+        foo()
+    except:
+        print("except 1")
+        try:
+            bar()
+        except:
+            print("except 2")
+            try:
+                baz()
+            except:
+                print("except 3")
+            bak()
+
+try:
+    f()
+except:
+    print("f except")
diff --git a/tests/basics/tests/while1.py b/tests/basics/tests/while1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9bb5d2792
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/tests/while1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# basic while loop
+
+x = 0
+while x < 2:
+    y = 0
+    while y < 2:
+        z = 0
+        while z < 2:
+            z = z + 1
+            print(x, y, z)
+        y = y + 1
+    x = x + 1