diff --git a/pkg/analyzer/lib/src/fasta/ast_builder.dart b/pkg/analyzer/lib/src/fasta/ast_builder.dart
index 67e0502..35f40b1 100644
--- a/pkg/analyzer/lib/src/fasta/ast_builder.dart
+++ b/pkg/analyzer/lib/src/fasta/ast_builder.dart
@@ -1111,7 +1111,7 @@
       if (variableOrDeclaration is! SimpleIdentifier) {
         // Parser has already reported the error.
         if (!leftParenthesis.next.isIdentifier) {
-          parser.rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+          parser.rewriter.insertToken(
               leftParenthesis,
               new SyntheticStringToken(
                   TokenType.IDENTIFIER, '', leftParenthesis.next.charOffset));
diff --git a/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/parser.dart b/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/parser.dart
index 0ffe218..b12f4fe 100644
--- a/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/parser.dart
+++ b/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/parser.dart
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@
       reportRecoverableError(next, fasta.messageTopLevelOperator);
       // Insert a synthetic identifier
       // and continue parsing as a top level function.
-      rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+      rewriter.insertToken(
           next,
           new SyntheticStringToken(
               TokenType.IDENTIFIER,
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@
           withKeyword, fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('with'));
       withKeyword =
           new SyntheticKeywordToken(Keyword.WITH, withKeyword.charOffset);
-      rewriter.insertTokenAfter(token, withKeyword);
+      rewriter.insertToken(token, withKeyword);
       if (!isValidTypeReference(withKeyword.next)) {
         rewriter.insertSyntheticIdentifier(withKeyword);
       }
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@
               next.next.kind == IDENTIFIER_TOKEN) {
             // Looks like a missing comma
             Token comma = new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.charOffset);
-            token = rewriter.insertTokenAfter(token, comma).next;
+            token = rewriter.insertToken(token, comma);
             continue;
           } else {
             token = ensureCloseParen(token, begin);
@@ -1324,10 +1324,9 @@
       if (!optional('.', next)) {
         // Recover from a missing period by inserting one.
         next = rewriteAndRecover(
-                token,
-                fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('.'),
-                new SyntheticToken(TokenType.PERIOD, next.charOffset))
-            .next;
+            token,
+            fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('.'),
+            new SyntheticToken(TokenType.PERIOD, next.charOffset));
       }
       periodAfterThis = token = next;
       next = token.next;
@@ -1476,7 +1475,7 @@
       token = next;
     }
     if (parameterCount == 0) {
-      token = rewriteAndRecover(
+      rewriteAndRecover(
           token,
           fasta.messageEmptyOptionalParameterList,
           new SyntheticStringToken(
@@ -1527,7 +1526,7 @@
       token = next;
     }
     if (parameterCount == 0) {
-      token = rewriteAndRecover(
+      rewriteAndRecover(
           token,
           fasta.messageEmptyNamedParameterList,
           new SyntheticStringToken(
@@ -1971,10 +1970,8 @@
         if (!errorReported) {
           reportRecoverableErrorWithToken(next, fasta.templateExpectedString);
         }
-        next = rewriter
-            .insertTokenAfter(token,
-                new SyntheticStringToken(TokenType.STRING, '', next.charOffset))
-            .next;
+        next = rewriter.insertToken(token,
+            new SyntheticStringToken(TokenType.STRING, '', next.charOffset));
       }
     }
     listener.handleStringPart(next);
@@ -2114,7 +2111,7 @@
               token = next;
               next = token.next;
               if (optional('(', next.next)) {
-                rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+                rewriter.insertToken(
                     next,
                     new SyntheticStringToken(
                         TokenType.IDENTIFIER,
@@ -2423,7 +2420,7 @@
         // `this.<fieldname>=` is expected.
         reportRecoverableError(
             next, fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('.'));
-        rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+        rewriter.insertToken(
             token, new SyntheticToken(TokenType.PERIOD, next.offset));
         token = rewriter.insertSyntheticIdentifier(token.next);
         next = token.next;
@@ -2464,8 +2461,7 @@
     token = insertSyntheticIdentifier(
         beforeExpression, IdentifierContext.fieldInitializer,
         message: fasta.messageMissingAssignmentInInitializer);
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
-        token, new SyntheticToken(TokenType.EQ, token.offset));
+    rewriter.insertToken(token, new SyntheticToken(TokenType.EQ, token.offset));
     return parseInitializerExpressionRest(beforeExpression);
   }
 
@@ -2532,11 +2528,12 @@
 
   Token insertBlock(Token token) {
     Token next = token.next;
-    Token replacement = link(
-        new SyntheticBeginToken(TokenType.OPEN_CURLY_BRACKET, next.offset),
+    BeginToken beginGroup = rewriter.insertToken(token,
+        new SyntheticBeginToken(TokenType.OPEN_CURLY_BRACKET, next.offset));
+    Token endGroup = rewriter.insertToken(beginGroup,
         new SyntheticToken(TokenType.CLOSE_CURLY_BRACKET, next.offset));
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(token, replacement);
-    return replacement;
+    beginGroup.endGroup = endGroup;
+    return beginGroup;
   }
 
   /// If the next token is a closing parenthesis, return it.
@@ -2570,7 +2567,7 @@
     if (optional(':', next)) return next;
     Message message = fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(':');
     Token newToken = new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COLON, next.charOffset);
-    return rewriteAndRecover(token, message, newToken).next;
+    return rewriteAndRecover(token, message, newToken);
   }
 
   /// If the token after [token] is a not literal string,
@@ -2608,11 +2605,10 @@
   }
 
   /// Report an error at the token after [token] that has the given [message].
-  /// Insert the [newToken] after [token] and return [token].
+  /// Insert the [newToken] after [token] and return [newToken].
   Token rewriteAndRecover(Token token, Message message, Token newToken) {
     reportRecoverableError(token.next, message);
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(token, newToken);
-    return token;
+    return rewriter.insertToken(token, newToken);
   }
 
   /// Replace the token after [token] with `[` followed by `]`
@@ -3305,10 +3301,8 @@
       // If `return` used instead of `=>`, then report an error and continue
       if (optional('return', next)) {
         reportRecoverableError(next, fasta.messageExpectedBody);
-        next = rewriter
-            .insertTokenAfter(next,
-                new SyntheticToken(TokenType.FUNCTION, next.next.charOffset))
-            .next;
+        next = rewriter.insertToken(
+            next, new SyntheticToken(TokenType.FUNCTION, next.next.charOffset));
         return parseExpressionFunctionBody(next, ofFunctionExpression);
       }
       // If there is a stray simple identifier in the function expression
@@ -4142,10 +4136,9 @@
         // This looks like the start of an expression.
         // Report an error, insert the comma, and continue parsing.
         next = rewriteAndRecover(
-                token,
-                fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(','),
-                new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.offset))
-            .next;
+            token,
+            fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(','),
+            new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.offset));
       }
       token = next;
     }
@@ -4190,10 +4183,9 @@
           // If this looks like the start of an expression,
           // then report an error, insert the comma, and continue parsing.
           next = rewriteAndRecover(
-                  token,
-                  fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(','),
-                  new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.offset))
-              .next;
+              token,
+              fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(','),
+              new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.offset));
         } else {
           reportRecoverableError(
               next, fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('}'));
@@ -4258,7 +4250,7 @@
       // TODO(danrubel): Improve this error message.
       reportRecoverableError(
           next, fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('['));
-      rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+      rewriter.insertToken(
           token, new SyntheticToken(TokenType.INDEX, next.charOffset));
     }
     return parseLiteralListSuffix(token, constKeyword);
@@ -4623,10 +4615,9 @@
           // If this looks like the start of an expression,
           // then report an error, insert the comma, and continue parsing.
           next = rewriteAndRecover(
-                  token,
-                  fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(','),
-                  new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.offset))
-              .next;
+              token,
+              fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments(','),
+              new SyntheticToken(TokenType.COMMA, next.offset));
         } else {
           token = ensureCloseParen(token, begin);
           break;
@@ -5166,10 +5157,8 @@
     if (!optional('while', whileToken)) {
       reportRecoverableError(
           whileToken, fasta.templateExpectedButGot.withArguments('while'));
-      whileToken = rewriter
-          .insertTokenAfter(token,
-              new SyntheticKeywordToken(Keyword.WHILE, whileToken.charOffset))
-          .next;
+      whileToken = rewriter.insertToken(token,
+          new SyntheticKeywordToken(Keyword.WHILE, whileToken.charOffset));
     }
     token = parseParenthesizedCondition(whileToken);
     token = ensureSemicolon(token);
@@ -5254,7 +5243,7 @@
       // checking the next token as we are doing here.
       reportRecoverableError(
           throwToken.next, fasta.messageMissingExpressionInThrow);
-      rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+      rewriter.insertToken(
           throwToken,
           new SyntheticStringToken(
               TokenType.STRING, '""', throwToken.next.charOffset, 0));
@@ -5724,7 +5713,7 @@
       next = next.next;
     } else {
       reportRecoverableError(next, fasta.messageMissingOperatorKeyword);
-      rewriter.insertTokenAfter(
+      rewriter.insertToken(
           beforeName, new SyntheticToken(Keyword.OPERATOR, next.offset));
     }
 
@@ -5819,7 +5808,7 @@
     reportRecoverableError(next, fasta.messageStackOverflow);
 
     next = new SyntheticToken(TokenType.SEMICOLON, token.offset);
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(token, next);
+    rewriter.insertToken(token, next);
     listener.handleEmptyStatement(next);
 
     while (notEofOrValue('}', next)) {
diff --git a/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter.dart b/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter.dart
index cc01a67..86170d4 100644
--- a/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter.dart
+++ b/pkg/front_end/lib/src/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter.dart
@@ -80,18 +80,6 @@
     return newToken;
   }
 
-  /// Insert the chain of tokens starting at the [insertedToken] immediately
-  /// after the [previousToken]. Return the [previousToken].
-  Token insertTokenAfter(Token previousToken, Token insertedToken) {
-    Token afterToken = previousToken.next;
-    previousToken.setNext(insertedToken);
-
-    Token lastReplacement = _lastTokenInChain(insertedToken);
-    lastReplacement.setNext(afterToken);
-
-    return previousToken;
-  }
-
   /// Move [endGroup] (a synthetic `)`, `]`, or `}` token) and associated
   /// error token after [token] in the token stream and return [endGroup].
   Token moveSynthetic(Token token, Token endGroup) {
diff --git a/pkg/front_end/test/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter_test.dart b/pkg/front_end/test/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter_test.dart
index ed8df9c..f47b461 100644
--- a/pkg/front_end/test/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter_test.dart
+++ b/pkg/front_end/test/fasta/parser/token_stream_rewriter_test.dart
@@ -22,46 +22,30 @@
   /// Indicates whether the tests should set up [Token.previous].
   bool get setPrevious;
 
-  void test_insertTokenAfter_end_single() {
+  void test_insertToken_end() {
     var a = _makeToken(0, 'a');
     var b = _makeToken(1, 'b');
     var eof = _link([a]);
     var rewriter = new TokenStreamRewriter();
-    expect(rewriter.insertTokenAfter(a, b), same(a));
+    expect(rewriter.insertToken(a, b), same(b));
     expect(a.next, same(b));
     expect(b.next, same(eof));
     expect(eof.previous, same(b));
     expect(b.previous, same(a));
   }
 
-  void test_insertTokenAfter_middle_multiple() {
-    var a = _makeToken(0, 'a');
-    var b = _makeToken(1, 'b');
-    var c = _makeToken(2, 'c');
-    var d = _makeToken(3, 'd');
-    var e = _makeToken(4, 'e');
-    _link([a, b, e]);
-    _link([c, d]);
-    var rewriter = new TokenStreamRewriter();
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(b, c);
-    expect(a.next, same(b));
-    expect(b.next, same(c));
-    expect(c.next, same(d));
-    expect(d.next, same(e));
-  }
-
-  void test_insertTokenAfter_middle_single() {
+  void test_insertToken_middle() {
     var a = _makeToken(0, 'a');
     var b = _makeToken(1, 'b');
     var c = _makeToken(2, 'c');
     _link([a, c]);
     var rewriter = new TokenStreamRewriter();
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(a, b);
+    rewriter.insertToken(a, b);
     expect(a.next, same(b));
     expect(b.next, same(c));
   }
 
-  void test_insertTokenAfter_second_insertion_earlier_in_stream() {
+  void test_insertToken_second_insertion_earlier_in_stream() {
     var a = _makeToken(0, 'a');
     var b = _makeToken(1, 'b');
     var c = _makeToken(2, 'c');
@@ -69,12 +53,12 @@
     var e = _makeToken(4, 'e');
     _link([a, c, e]);
     var rewriter = new TokenStreamRewriter();
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(c, d);
+    rewriter.insertToken(c, d);
     expect(c.next, same(d));
     expect(d.next, same(e));
     // The next call to rewriter should be able to find the insertion point
     // even though it is before the insertion point used above.
-    rewriter.insertTokenAfter(a, b);
+    rewriter.insertToken(a, b);
     expect(a.next, same(b));
     expect(b.next, same(c));
   }