diff --git a/example/all.yaml b/example/all.yaml
index 6d2a3f698..f3415b745 100644
--- a/example/all.yaml
+++ b/example/all.yaml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ linter:
     - avoid_types_as_parameter_names
     - avoid_types_on_closure_parameters
     - avoid_unused_constructor_parameters
+    - avoid_unused_functions
     - await_only_futures
     - camel_case_types
     - cancel_subscriptions
diff --git a/lib/src/rules.dart b/lib/src/rules.dart
index 706e246ed..89ef5536f 100644
--- a/lib/src/rules.dart
+++ b/lib/src/rules.dart
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import 'package:linter/src/rules/avoid_slow_async_io.dart';
 import 'package:linter/src/rules/avoid_types_as_parameter_names.dart';
 import 'package:linter/src/rules/avoid_types_on_closure_parameters.dart';
 import 'package:linter/src/rules/avoid_unused_constructor_parameters.dart';
+import 'package:linter/src/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart';
 import 'package:linter/src/rules/await_only_futures.dart';
 import 'package:linter/src/rules/camel_case_types.dart';
 import 'package:linter/src/rules/cancel_subscriptions.dart';
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ void registerLintRules() {
     ..register(new AvoidSlowAsyncIo())
     ..register(new AvoidTypesAsParameterNames())
     ..register(new AvoidUnusedConstructorParameters())
+    ..register(new AvoidUnusedFunctions())
     ..register(new AwaitOnlyFutures())
     ..registerDefault(new CamelCaseTypes())
     ..register(new CancelSubscriptions())
diff --git a/lib/src/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart b/lib/src/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2e1f66ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
+// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+import 'package:analyzer/dart/ast/ast.dart';
+import 'package:analyzer/dart/ast/visitor.dart';
+import 'package:analyzer/dart/element/type.dart';
+import 'package:linter/src/analyzer.dart';
+
+const _desc = r'Avoid unused functions in expressions.';
+
+const _details = r'''
+
+**AVOID** unused functions in expressions.
+
+Expressions that have no side effects but include a function that is not called
+indicate missing parentheses.
+
+For example,
+
+**BAD:**
+```
+list.clear;
+flag ? list.clear() : list.sort;
+```
+
+Since an unused tearoff has no effect, this was almost certainly the intent:
+
+**GOOD:**
+```
+list.clear();
+flag ? list.clear() : list.sort();
+```
+
+''';
+
+class AvoidUnusedFunctions extends LintRule implements NodeLintRule {
+  AvoidUnusedFunctions()
+      : super(
+            name: 'avoid_unused_functions',
+            description: _desc,
+            details: _details,
+            group: Group.errors);
+
+  @override
+  void registerNodeProcessors(NodeLintRegistry registry) {
+    final visitor = new _Visitor(new _ReportNoClearEffectVisitor(this));
+    registry.addExpressionStatement(this, visitor);
+    registry.addForStatement(this, visitor);
+    registry.addCascadeExpression(this, visitor);
+  }
+}
+
+class _Visitor extends SimpleAstVisitor<void> {
+  final _ReportNoClearEffectVisitor reportNoClearEffect;
+
+  _Visitor(this.reportNoClearEffect);
+  @override
+  void visitCascadeExpression(CascadeExpression node) {
+    for (var section in node.cascadeSections) {
+      if (section is PropertyAccess && section.bestType is FunctionType) {
+        reportNoClearEffect.rule.reportLint(section);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  @override
+  void visitExpressionStatement(ExpressionStatement node) {
+    if (node.parent is FunctionBody) {
+      return;
+    }
+    node.expression.accept(reportNoClearEffect);
+  }
+
+  @override
+  void visitForStatement(ForStatement node) {
+    node.initialization?.accept(reportNoClearEffect);
+    node.updaters?.forEach((u) {
+      u.accept(reportNoClearEffect);
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+class _ReportNoClearEffectVisitor extends UnifyingAstVisitor {
+  final LintRule rule;
+
+  _ReportNoClearEffectVisitor(this.rule);
+
+  @override
+  visitAssignmentExpression(AssignmentExpression node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitAwaitExpression(AwaitExpression node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitBinaryExpression(BinaryExpression node) {
+    switch (node.operator.lexeme) {
+      case '??':
+      case '||':
+      case '&&':
+        // these are OK when used for control flow
+        node.rightOperand.accept(this);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    super.visitBinaryExpression(node);
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitCascadeExpression(CascadeExpression node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitConditionalExpression(ConditionalExpression node) {
+    node.thenExpression.accept(this);
+    node.elseExpression.accept(this);
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitFunctionExpressionInvocation(FunctionExpressionInvocation node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitInstanceCreationExpression(InstanceCreationExpression node) {
+    // A few APIs use this for side effects, like Timer. Also, for constructors
+    // that have side effects, they should have tests. Those tests will often
+    // include an instantiation expression statement with nothing else.
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitMethodInvocation(MethodInvocation node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitNode(AstNode expression) {
+    if (expression is Expression && expression.bestType is FunctionType) {
+      rule.reportLint(expression);
+    }
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitPostfixExpression(PostfixExpression node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitPrefixExpression(PrefixExpression node) {
+    if (node.operator.lexeme == '--' || node.operator.lexeme == '++') {
+      // Has a clear effect
+      return;
+    }
+    super.visitPrefixExpression(node);
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitRethrowExpression(RethrowExpression node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitSuperConstructorInvocation(SuperConstructorInvocation node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+
+  @override
+  visitThrowExpression(ThrowExpression node) {
+    // Has a clear effect
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart b/test/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9c112de7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rules/avoid_unused_functions.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
+// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// test w/ `pub run test -N avoid_unused_tearoffs`
+
+notReturned() {
+  1; // OK
+  1 + 1; // OK
+  foo; // LINT
+  new MyClass().foo; // LINT
+  new MyClass()..foo; // LINT
+  new MyClass()
+    ..getter // OK
+    ..foo() // OK
+    ..foo; // LINT
+  []; // OK
+  <dynamic, dynamic>{}; // OK
+  "blah"; // OK
+  ~1; // OK
+
+  new MyClass(); // OK
+  foo(); // OK
+  new MyClass().foo(); // OK
+  var x = 2; // OK
+  x++; // OK
+  x--; // OK
+  ++x; // OK
+  --x; // OK
+  try {
+    throw new Exception(); // OK
+  } catch (x) {
+    rethrow; // OK
+  }
+}
+
+asConditionAndReturnOk() {
+  if (true == someBool) // OK
+  {
+    return 1 + 1; // OK
+  } else if (false == someBool) {
+    return foo; // OK
+  }
+  while (new MyClass() != null) // OK
+  {
+    return new MyClass().foo; // OK
+  }
+  while (null == someBool) // OK
+  {
+    return new MyClass()..foo; // LINT
+  }
+  for (; someBool ?? someBool;) // OK
+  {
+    return <dynamic, dynamic>{}; // OK
+  }
+  do {} while ("blah".isEmpty); // OK
+  for (var i in []) {} // OK
+  switch (~1) // OK
+      {
+  }
+
+  () => new MyClass().foo; // LINT
+  myfun() => new MyClass().foo; // OK
+  myfun2() => new MyClass()..foo; // LINT
+}
+
+myfun() => new MyClass().foo; // OK
+myfun2() => new MyClass()..foo; // LINT
+
+expressionBranching() {
+  null ?? 1 + 1; // OK
+  null ?? foo; // LINT
+  null ?? new MyClass().foo; // LINT
+  false || 1 + 1 == 2; // OK
+  false || foo == true; // OK
+  false || new MyClass() as bool; // OK
+  false || new MyClass().foo == true; // OK
+  true && 1 + 1 == 2; // OK
+  true && foo == true; // OK
+  true && new MyClass() as bool; // OK
+  true && new MyClass().foo == true; // OK
+
+  // ternaries can detect either/both sides
+  someBool // OK
+      ? 1 + 1 // OK
+      : foo(); // OK
+  someBool // OK
+      ? foo() // OK
+      : foo; // LINT
+  someBool // OK
+      ? new MyClass() // OK
+      : foo(); // OK
+  someBool // OK
+      ? foo() // OK
+      : new MyClass().foo; // LINT
+  someBool // OK
+      ? [] // OK
+      : {}; // OK
+
+  // not unnecessary condition, but unnecessary branching
+  foo() ?? 1 + 1; // OK
+  foo() || new MyClass() as bool; // OK
+  foo() && foo == true; // OK
+  foo() ? 1 + 1 : foo(); // OK
+  foo() ? foo() : foo; // LINT
+  foo() ? foo() : new MyClass().foo; // LINT
+
+  null ?? new MyClass(); // OK
+  null ?? foo(); // OK
+  null ?? new MyClass().foo(); // OK
+  false || foo(); // OK
+  false || new MyClass().foo(); // OK
+  true && foo(); // OK
+  true && new MyClass().foo(); // OK
+  someBool ? foo() : new MyClass().foo(); // OK
+  foo() ? foo() : new MyClass().foo(); // OK
+  foo() ? new MyClass() : foo(); // OK
+}
+
+inOtherStatements() {
+  if (foo()) {
+    1; // OK
+  }
+  while (someBool) {
+    1 + 1; // OK
+  }
+  for (foo; foo();) {} // LINT
+  for (; foo(); 1 + 1) {} // OK
+  for (;
+      foo();
+      foo(), // OK
+      1 + 1, // OK
+      new MyClass().foo) {} // LINT
+  do {
+    new MyClass().foo; // LINT
+  } while (foo());
+
+  switch (foo()) {
+    case true:
+      []; // OK
+      break; // OK
+    case false:
+      <dynamic, dynamic>{}; // OK
+      break; // OK
+    default:
+      "blah"; // OK
+  }
+
+  for (var i in [1, 2, 3]) {
+    ~1; // OK
+  }
+}
+
+bool someBool = true;
+bool foo() => true;
+
+class MyClass {
+  bool foo() => true;
+
+  get getter => true;
+}