diff --git a/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/es2015.js b/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/es2015.js
index fb42b1390583..ea2390d3f42a 100644
--- a/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/es2015.js
+++ b/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/es2015.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 import defineType, {
+  assertShape,
   assertNodeType,
   assertValueType,
   chain,
@@ -537,7 +538,10 @@ defineType("TemplateElement", {
   builder: ["value", "tail"],
   fields: {
     value: {
-      // todo: flatten `raw` into main node
+      validate: assertShape({
+        raw: assertValueType("string"),
+        cooked: assertValueType("string"),
+      }),
     },
     tail: {
       validate: assertValueType("boolean"),
diff --git a/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/utils.js b/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/utils.js
index c1d2ce762daa..6109d33a1f50 100644
--- a/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/utils.js
+++ b/packages/babel-types/src/definitions/utils.js
@@ -161,6 +161,25 @@ export function assertValueType(type: string): Validator {
   return validate;
 }
 
+export function assertShape(shape: {| [string]: Validator |}): Validator {
+  function validate(node, key, val) {
+    for (const property of Object.keys(shape)) {
+      try {
+        const validator = shape[property];
+        validator(val[property]);
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (error instanceof TypeError) {
+          throw new TypeError(
+            `Property ${key} of ${node.type} expected to have ${error.message}`,
+          );
+        }
+        throw error;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return validate;
+}
+
 export function chain(...fns: Array<Validator>): Validator {
   function validate(...args) {
     for (const fn of fns) {