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3.
Patterns ::
top ::
Studying the
patterns is very important in order to apply the Elliott Wave Principle
correctly. The pattern of the market action, if correctly determined,
not only tells you to what price levels the market will rise or
decline, but also in which way (or pattern) this will happen.
When you are
able to recognize the patterns, and apply these patterns correctly,
you can trade the Elliott Wave Principle. This is not easy to accomplish,
but after some study and with the help of our "detailed and
personalized daily chart service" tool you will find it easier.
Humans, with sufficient experience, can analyse markets in an instance,
which is a requirement for trading.
Our daily chart
service restricts itself mainly to the patterns mentioned in the
Classic Elliott Wave patterns. We analysis these patterns
using the Classic Rules.
We also use
the Modern Rules, as mentioned under Modern Elliott Wave
patterns, we have defined more patterns, which we have found
after more than 10 years of research and experience, which definitions
are more profitable in our view. This way we make available our
knowledge and experience without any extra costs.
After looking
at the big picture we then determine which rules are preferable.
Explaining the
following descriptions, on the left you will find a picture of a
bull market, at the right one of a bear market.
The pattern
section depicts the structure, while the description
gives additional information. The pattern should follow the rules
and guidelines, which can also be derived from the picture.
Furthermore the section, in which wave explains in
which wave, as a part of a larger wave degree, the patterns normally
occur. Last but not least the pattern must have an internal
structure as described. This is very important to determine
which pattern you are dealing with.
Classic
Elliott Wave patterns ::
top ::
Below we have
depicted all Elliott Wave patterns that are allowed under a very
strict interpretation of the Elliott Wave Principle. Elliott
detected most of these patterns, except for the Diagonal 2 pattern.
The WXY and WXYXZ pattern have not been defined as such by Elliott,
but he already had discovered these sort of combinations.
In our daily
analysis we use the WXY and WXYXZ also for Double and Triple Zigzags.
This is a much more consistent way of labeling these patterns, since
now the ABC waves in waves W and Y are sub waves and an unfitting
Wave X has been eliminated.
Because of this,
in our daily analysis we no longer have to search for more than
five waves. Using the old definition of for example a Triple Zigzag,
the search was for eleven waves, apart from inconsistencies this
would have slowed down our analysis considerably.
I.
Trends ::
top ::
a. Impulse
Pattern
 
Description
Impulses are
always composed of five waves, labeled 1,2,3,4,5. Waves 1, 3 and
5 are themselves each impulsive patterns and are approximately equal
in length. Waves 2 and 4 on the contrary are always corrective patterns.
Rules and
guidelines
The most important
rules and guidelines are:
- Wave 2
cannot be longer in price than wave 1, and it must not go beyond
the origin of wave 1.
- Wave 3
is never the shortest when compared to waves 1 and 5.
- Wave 4
cannot overlap wave 1, except in diagonal triangles and sometimes
in wave 1 or A waves, but never in a third wave. In most cases
there should not be an overlap between wave 1 and A.
- As a guideline
the third wave shows the greatest momentum, except when the
fifth is the extended wave.
- Wave 5
must exceed the end of wave 3.
- As a guideline
the internal wave structure should show alternation, which means
different kind of corrective structures in wave 2 and 4.
In which
wave
Impulse patterns
occur in waves 1, 3, 5 and in waves A and C of a correction( this
correction could be a wave 2, 4 or a wave B, D, E or wave X).
Internal
structure
It is composed
of five waves. The internal structure of these waves is 5-3-5-3-5.
Note that the mentioned 3s are corrective waves, which should be
composed of 5 waves in a corrective triangle.
b. Extension
Pattern
 
Description
By definition
an extension occurs in an impulsive wave, where waves 1, 3 or 5
can be extended, being much longer than the other waves. It is quite
common that one of these waves will extend, which is normally the
third wave. The two other waves then tend to equal each other.
In our pattern
definitions we call it an Extension1 if the first wave extends,
an Extension3 if the 3rd wave extends and an Extension5
if the 5th wave extends.
Rules and
guidelines
The most important
rules and guidelines concerning an extended wave are:
- It is composed
of 5, 9, 13 or 17 waves.
- Wave 2
cannot be longer in price length than wave 1, so it should not
go beyond the origin of wave 1.
- Wave 3
is never the shortest when compared to waves 1 and 5.
- Wave 4
cannot overlap wave 1.
- Wave 5
exceeds the end of wave 3.
- The extended
wave normally shows the highest acceleration.
In which
wave
Extensions occur
in waves 1, 3, 5, and in A and C waves, when compared to each other.
Internal
structure
As a minimum
it is composed of 9 waves, though 13 or 17 waves could occur. So
the minimal internal structure of the 9 waves is 5-3-5-3-5-3-5-3-5.
Note that the 3s mentioned are corrective waves, which could be
composed of 5 waves in the case of a corrective triangle.
c. Diagonal
triangle type 1
Pattern
 
Description
Diagonals are
sort of impulsive patterns, which normally occur in terminal waves
like a fifth or a C wave. Don’t confuse them with corrective triangles.
Diagonals are
relatively rare phenomena for large wave degrees, but they do occur
often in lower wave degrees on intra-day charts. Usually Diagonal
triangles are followed by a violent change in market direction.
Rules and
guidelines
The most important
rules and guidelines are:
- It is composed
of 5 waves.
- Waves 4
and 1 do overlap.
- Wave 4
can’t go beyond the origin of wave 3.
- Wave 3)
cannot be the shortest wave.
- Internally
all waves of the diagonal have a corrective wave structure.
- Wave 1
is the longest wave and wave 5 the shortest.
- The channel
lines of Diagonals must converge.
- As a guideline
the internal wave structure should show alternation, which means
different kind of corrective structures.
In which
wave
Diagonal triangles
type 1 occur in waves 5, C and sometimes in wave 1.
Internal
structure
The internal
structure of the five waves is 3-3-3-3-3.
c. Diagonal
triangle type 2
Pattern
 
Description
Diagonal type
2 is a sort of impulsive pattern, which normally occurs in the first
or A wave. The main difference with the Diagonal Triangle type 1
is the fact that waves 1, 3 and 5 have an internal structure
of five waves instead of three. Experience shows it can also
occur in a wave 5 or C, though the Elliott Wave Principle does not
allow this. Don’t confuse this with corrective triangles.
Diagonals are
relatively rare phenomena for large wave degrees, but they do occur
often in lower wave degrees in intra day charts. These Diagonal
triangles are not followed by a violent change in market direction,
because it is not the end of a trend, except when it occurs in a
fifth or a C wave.
Rules and
guidelines
The most important
rules and guidelines are:
- It is composed
of 5 waves.
- Wave 4
and 1 do overlap.
- Wave 4
can’t go beyond the origin of wave 3.
- Wave 3)
cannot be the shortest wave.
- Internally
waves 1, 3 and 5 have an impulsive wave structure.
- Wave 1
is the longest wave and wave 5 the shortest.
- As a guideline
the internal wave structure should show alternation, which means
that wave 2 and 4 show a different kind of corrective structure.
In which
wave
Diagonal triangles
type 2 occur in waves 1 and A.
Internal
structure
The five waves
of the diagonal type 2 show an internal structure of 5-3-5-3-5.
d. Failure
or Truncated 5th
Pattern
 
Description
A failure is
an impulsive pattern in which the fifth wave does not exceed the
third wave. Fifth waves, which travel only slightly beyond the top
of wave 3, can also be classified as a kind of failure. It indicates
that the trend is weak and that the market will show acceleration
in the opposite direction.
Rules and
guidelines
The most important
rules and guidelines are:
- Wave 2
cannot be longer in price distance than wave 1, so it should
not go beyond the origin of wave 1.
- Wave 3
is never the shortest when compared to waves 1 and 5.
- Wave 4
cannot overlap wave 1, except for diagonal triangles and sometimes
in waves 1 or A, but never in a third wave. There should not
be overlap between wave 1 and A.
- Wave 5
fails to go beyond the end of wave 3.
- As a guideline
the third wave shows the greatest momentum.
- As a guideline
the internal wave structure should show alternation, which means
different kinds of corrective structures.
In which
wave
A failure can
only occur in a fifth wave or a C wave, but normally not in the
fifth wave of wave 3.
Internal
structure
It must be composed
of five waves.
II.
Corrections ::
top ::
a. Zigzag
Pattern
 
Description
A Zigzag is
the most common corrective structure, which starts a sharp reversal.
Often it looks like an impulsive wave, because of the acceleration
it shows. A zigzag can extend itself into a double or triple zigzag,
although this is not very common, because it lacks alternation (the
same two patterns follow each other). Notice that the zigzag can
only be the first part of a corrective structure.
Rules and
guidelines
- It is composed
of 3 waves.
- Waves A
and C are impulses, wave B is corrective.
- The B wave
retraces no more then 61.8% of A.
- The C wave
must go beyond the end of A.
- The C wave
normally is at least equal to A.
In which
wave
Most of the
time it happens in A, X or 2. Also quite common in B waves as a
part of a Flat, (part of) Triangles and sometimes in 4.
Internal
structure
A single Zigzag
is composed of 3 waves, a double of 7 waves separated by an X wave
in the middle, a triple of 11 waves separated by two X waves (see
pictures below). The internal structure of the 3 waves is 5-3-5
in a single Zigzag, 5-3-5-3-5-3-5 in a double.
Example of a
Double Zigzag
 
As you have
noticed we have a more modern representation of the Double Zigzag
using the labels WXY instead of ABCXABC. This is more consistent,
since this way 2 zigzags of lower degree get connected to each other
by waves of higher degree. On top if that, our automatic analysis
needed such a consistent method of labeling to reach maximum performance.
Instead of labeling 7 waves (ABCXABC), in our daily analysis we
need to label only 3 waves (WXY). According to the same method a
Triple Zigzag is represented by WXYXZ instead of ABCXABCXABC. This
way the number of waves was reduced to five instead of eleven.
b. Flat
Pattern
 
Description
Flats are very
common forms of corrective patterns, which generally show a sideways
direction. Waves A and B of the Flat are both corrective patterns.
Wave C on the contrary is an impulsive pattern. Normally wave C
will not go beyond the end of wave A.
Rules and
guidelines
- It is composed
of 3 waves.
- Wave C
is an impulse, wave A and B are corrective.
- Wave B
retraces more then 61.8% of A.
- Wave B
often shows a complete retracement to the end of the previous
impulse wave.
- Wave C
shouldn’t go beyond the end of A.
- Normally
wave C is at least equal to A.
In which
wave
It occurs mostly
in B waves, though also quite common in 4 and 2.
Internal
structure
As mentioned
before a Flat consists of 3 waves. The internal structure of these
waves is 3-3-5. Both waves A and B normally are Zigzags.
c. Expanded
Flat or Irregular Flat
Pattern
  
Description
This is a common
special type of Flat. Here the B wave is extended and goes beyond
the (orthodox) end of the previous impulsive wave. The strength
of the B wave shows that the market wants to go in the direction
of B. Often a strong acceleration will take place, which starts
a third wave or an extended fifth. If the C wave is much longer
then A, the strength will be less.
Rules and
guidelines
- It is composed
of 3 waves.
- Wave C
is an impulse, waves A and B are corrective.
- Wave B
retraces beyond the end of the previous impulse, which is the
start of wave A. The C wave normally is much longer then A.
In which
wave
This corrective
pattern can happen in 2, 4, B and X. If it happens in 2 and C is
relatively short, normally an acceleration in the third will take
place.
Internal
structure
It is composed
of five waves, which have an internal structure of 3-3-5.
c. Triangles
Contracting
Triangle:
Pattern
 
Description
A triangle is
a corrective pattern, which can contract or expand. Furthermore
it can ascend or descend. It is composed of five waves, each of
them has a corrective nature.
Rules and
guidelines
- It is composed
of 5 waves.
- Wave 4
and 1 do overlap.
- Wave 4
can’t go beyond the origin of wave 3.
- Wave 3
cannot be the shortest wave.
- Internally
all waves of the diagonal have a corrective wave structure.
- In a contracting
Triangle, wave 1 is the longest wave and wave 5 the shortest.
In an expanding Triangle, wave 1 is the shortest and wave 5
the longest.
- Triangles
normally have a wedged shape, which follows from the previous.
- As a guideline
the internal wave structure should show alternation.
In which
wave
Triangles occur
only in waves B, X and 4. Never in wave 2 or A.
Internal
structure
It is composed
of five waves, of which the internal structure is 3-3-3-3-3.
Expanding
Triangle:
 
Ascending
Triangle:
This is a triangle,
which slopes upwards. This pattern has been implemented in the Modern
Rules.
Descending
Triangle:
This is a triangle,
which slopes downwards. This pattern has been implemented in the
Modern Rules.
Running Triangle:
This is a triangle
where the B wave exceeds the origin of wave A.
d. WXY
or Combination
Many kinds of
combinations are possible. Below a rather complex example has been
depicted.
Pattern

Description
A Combination
combines several types of corrections. These corrections are labeled
as WXY and WXYXZ if it is even more complex. It starts for example
with a Zigzag (wave W), then an intermediate X wave, then a Flat
(wave Y) and so on. A so-called double or triple three is also a
Combination, but this pattern combines Flats separated by X waves.
Rules and
guidelines
- All types
of corrective patterns can combine to form a bigger corrective
pattern.
- The rules
and guidelines, as mentioned for other corrective patterns apply.
- A triangle
in a Combination should normally occur at the end.
- Corrective
patterns in a Combination normally show alternation.
In which
wave
Generally a
Combination occurs mostly in B, X and 4, it is less common in A
and rare in 2.
Internal
structure
For example
a Zigzag, followed by a Flat, followed by a Triangle has the following
internal structure:
5-3-5(Zigzag)-5-3-5(X)-3-3-5(Flat)-3-3-3-3-3(Triangle).
e. Running
Flat
Pattern
 
Description
The Running
correction is a rare special form of a failure. This pattern is
a kind of Flat, with an elongated B wave and a very small C wave.
According to theory wave C should be so short that it doesn’t get
to the price territory of wave A. In our daily analysis we do not
accept a C wave that fails to reach the price territory of wave
A.
Instead of a
running correction this could in theory be an extension in an impulsive
wave, where the wave has subdivided in two (or more) 1,2 combinations.
If the B is a clear three wave, then it is a Running correction,
otherwise an extension. In practice there will not be any difference
in market direction: in both scenarios the market will explode in
the direction of the B wave, therefore we prefer to label it as
an extension. For the sake of correctness we do included this pattern
in our daily analysis.
Rules and
guidelines
- The B wave
must be composed of three waves.
- The C wave
must be composed of five waves.
- Wave C
must be very short and normally will not reach the price territory
of A.
- Wave C
must not retrace more than 100% of wave B but more than 60%
of wave A.
In which
wave
Most of the
time it should occur in wave 2 or B.
Internal
structure
It is a three-wave
structure. The internal structure is
3-3-5.
X wave
Description
An X wave is
an intermediate wave in a more complex correction. This wave is
always corrective and can take many forms like a Zigzag, Double
Zigzag, Flat, Expanded Flat, combination and a triangle.
Modern
Elliott Wave patterns ::
top ::
In our Modern
Rules observations and analysis we have defined extra patterns
that are mostly hybrid patterns derived from the known patterns
that have existed from the beginning. In addition, we allow for
the occurrence of more patterns in some waves. For example, wave
1 may also contain a diagonal1, diagonal2 and impulse 2 pattern,
in addition to the other trend patterns, that a classic interpretation
accepts.
I.
Trends ::
top ::
a. Impulse
2
Pattern

Description
An Impulse 2
is an uncommon pattern that resembles a normal impulse considerably.
In our daily analysis we allow for a maximum retracement of 51.5%
for wave 4 in an impulse or other trend pattern. Of course sometimes
the retracement of wave 4 could be 51.6% and an impulse would then
be eliminated, in spite of the fact that the limit was exceeded
by 0.1% only. Naturally the Elliott Wave does not apply this strictly
and the Impulse 2 pattern corrects for this problem. Apart from
this, we have witnessed a retracement up to 62% for a wave 4 frequently
in intra day charts.
Rules and
guidelines
The same rules
and guidelines apply as with a normal impulse except for the following:
- Wave 4
is allowed to retrace between 51.5% and 62%, without penetrating
the region of wave 1.
- As a guideline,
wave 4 very often is a Zigzag.
In which
wave
Impulse 2 patterns
mostly occur in waves 1,A or C, never in a wave 3!
Internal
structure
It is composed
of five waves. The internal structure of these waves is 5-3-5-3-5.
Note that the mentioned 3s are corrective waves, which could be
composed of 5 waves in a corrective triangle.
II.
Corrections ::
top ::
a. ZigzagFlat
Pattern
 
Description
It is a common
pattern that is exactly the same as a Zigzag, except for the fact
that the B wave is allowed to retrace more than 61.8% of wave A.
b. Running
Zigzag
Pattern

Description
Apart from contracting
Triangles, a failure in a corrective pattern happens when the C
wave is shorter than wave A and fails to go beyond the end of A.
This mostly happens in Running Flats and or in Zigzags. It indicates
strength in the direction of the main trend.
Rules and
guidelines
- The rules
as mentioned with other corrective patterns apply.
- Wave C
fails to go beyond the end of wave A.
In which
wave
Failures can
occur in a C wave of wave 2, in a C or E wave of wave 4, in a C
wave of wave B or X.
c. Failed
Flat
Pattern
 
Description
This pattern
is exactly the same as a Flat, except for the fact that wave C does
not reach the end of wave A and therefore is shorter than wave B.
d. Running
Flat (modern)
Pattern
 
Description
This pattern
is exactly the same as a Running Flat, except for the fact that
it must retrace more than 60%, if not we consider it to be a normal
Running Flat. This distinction is necessary, because normally a
Running Flat is rare. But if it retraces more than 60% and still
fails to reach the end of wave A, it suddenly becomes much more
probable the pattern will occur. In which case it will get a much
higher score.
e. Ascending
and descending Triangles
Description
These are mentioned
under the Triangles description in the Classic patterns section.
Basically these patterns are the same as common contracting triangles,
except for the fact that ascending and descending triangles slope
up or down.
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The
information contained here was gathered from sources deemed
reliable, however, no claim is made as to its accuracy or
content. This does not contain specific recommendations
to buy or sell at particular prices or times, nor should
any of the examples presented be deemed as such. There is
a risk of loss in trading futures and futures options and
you should carefully consider your financial position before
making any trades.
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Futures
and options trading carries significant risk
and you can lose some, all or even more than your investment.
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