diff --git a/mode/xml.py b/mode/xml.py
index 9015d23..a9fcb29 100644
--- a/mode/xml.py
+++ b/mode/xml.py
@@ -1,21 +1,38 @@
 import color, method, mode
 from lex import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule
 
+class StringGrammar1(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^"]+')]
+class StringGrammar2(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r"[^']+")]
+
+class CommentGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'(?:[^-]|-(?!-)|--(?!>))+')]
+class MetadataGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'(?:[^?]|\?(?!>))+')]
+
 class TagGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
-        RegionRule(r'string', r'"', Grammar, r'"'),
-        RegionRule(r'string', r"'", Grammar, r"'"),
-        PatternRule(r'namespace', r'[a-zA-Z_]+:'),
-        PatternRule(r'attrname', r'[^ =>\n]+(?==)'),
-        PatternRule(r'name', r'[^/\[\] =>\n]+'),
+        PatternRule(r'attrname', r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]+(?==)'),
+        PatternRule(r'namespace', r'[a-zA-Z_]+(?=:)'),
+        PatternRule(r'name', r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]+'),
+        PatternRule(r'delimiter', r'[/=]'),
+        RegionRule(r'string', r'"', StringGrammar1, r'"'),
+        RegionRule(r'string', r"'", StringGrammar2, r"'"),
+        PatternRule(r'spaces', r' +'),
+        PatternRule(r'eol', r'\n'),
     ]
 
 class XMLGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
         # TODO: how does cdata work again?
-        RegionRule(r'comment', r'<!--', Grammar, r'-->'),
+        PatternRule(r'data', r'[^<& \n]+'),
+        PatternRule(r'spaces', r' +'),
+        RegionRule(r'comment', r'<!--', CommentGrammar, r'-->'),
         RegionRule(r'xml_tag', r'<', TagGrammar, r'/?>'),
-        PatternRule(r'xml_entity', r'&.*?;'),
+        PatternRule(r'xml_entity', r'&[a-z]+;'),
+        PatternRule(r'eol', r'\n'),
+        RegionRule(r'metadata', r'<\?', MetadataGrammar, r'\?>'),
     ]
 
 class XmlValidate(method.shell.Exec):