diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/Path.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/Path.java
index b87b7b55..b468f276 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/Path.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/Path.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package com.jayway.jsonpath.internal;
 
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.Configuration;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.token.TokenStack;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -43,6 +44,12 @@ public interface Path {
      */
     EvaluationContext evaluate(Object document, Object rootDocument, Configuration configuration, boolean forUpdate);
 
+    /**
+     * checks the parser state represented by stack and determines if this
+     * path matches it
+     */
+    boolean checkForMatch(TokenStack stack);
+
     /**
      *
      * @return true id this path is definite