diff --git a/src/AutGroup.jl b/src/AutGroup.jl
index d58c2b6..28374bb 100644
--- a/src/AutGroup.jl
+++ b/src/AutGroup.jl
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export Automorphism, AutGroup, Aut, SAut
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
-elem_type(::AutGroup{N}) where N = Automorphism{N}
+elem_type(::Type{AutGroup{N}}) where N = Automorphism{N}
 
 parent_type(::Automorphism{N}) where N = AutGroup{N}
 
@@ -188,12 +188,6 @@ SAut(G::Group) = AutGroup(G, special=true)
 
 Automorphism{N}(s::AutSymbol) where N = Automorphism{N}(AutSymbol[s])
 
-function Base.one(G::AutGroup{N}) where N
-   id = Automorphism{N}(id_autsymbol())
-   id.parent = G
-   return id
-end
-
 function (G::AutGroup{N})(f::AutSymbol) where N
    g = Automorphism{N}([f])
    g.parent = G
diff --git a/src/FPGroups.jl b/src/FPGroups.jl
index 878c4ba..0c472cb 100644
--- a/src/FPGroups.jl
+++ b/src/FPGroups.jl
@@ -30,10 +30,9 @@ export FPGroupElem, FPGroup
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
+elem_type(::Type{FPGroup}) = FPGroupElem
 parent_type(::Type{FPGroupElem}) = FPGroup
 
-elem_type(::FPGroup) = FPGroupElem
-
 ###############################################################################
 #
 #   FPSymbol constructors
@@ -59,12 +58,6 @@ FPGroup(H::FreeGroup) = FPGroup([FPSymbol(s) for s in H.gens])
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
-function Base.one(G::FPGroup)
-   id = FPGroupElem(FPSymbol[])
-   id.parent = G
-   return id
-end
-
 function (G::FPGroup)(w::GWord)
    if isempty(w)
       return one(G)
diff --git a/src/FreeGroup.jl b/src/FreeGroup.jl
index a9b1408..36cf7c0 100644
--- a/src/FreeGroup.jl
+++ b/src/FreeGroup.jl
@@ -52,12 +52,6 @@ FreeGroup(a::Vector) = FreeGroup(FreeSymbol.(a))
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
-function Base.one(G::FreeGroup)
-   id = FreeGroupElem(FreeSymbol[])
-   id.parent = G
-   return id
-end
-
 function (G::FreeGroup)(w::GroupWord{FreeSymbol})
    if length(syllables(w)) > 0
       for s in w.symbols
diff --git a/src/Groups.jl b/src/Groups.jl
index e700437..3fe742d 100644
--- a/src/Groups.jl
+++ b/src/Groups.jl
@@ -15,13 +15,25 @@ export elements
 using LinearAlgebra
 using Markdown
 
-Base.one(G::Generic.PermGroup) = G(collect(1:G.n), false)
+
+Base.one(G::Generic.PermGroup) = Generic.Perm(G.n)
+Base.one(r::NCRingElem) = one(parent(r))
 
 ###############################################################################
 #
 #   ParentType / ObjectType definition
 #
-###############################################################################
+
+abstract type AbstractFPGroup <: Group end
+
+function Base.one(G::Gr) where Gr <: AbstractFPGroup
+    El = elem_type(G)
+    id = El(eltype(El)[])
+    id.parent = G
+    return id
+end
+
+elem_type(G::Gr) where Gr <:AbstractFPGroup = elem_type(Gr) # fallback definition
 
 @doc doc"""
     ::GSymbol
@@ -46,6 +58,8 @@ hash(s::S, h::UInt) where S<:GSymbol = hash(s.id, hash(s.pow, hash(S, h)))
 
 abstract type GWord{T<:GSymbol} <: GroupElem end
 
+# fallback definitions
+Base.eltype(w::GW) where GW<:GWord = eltype(GW)
 @doc doc"""
     W::GroupWord{T} <: GWord{T<:GSymbol} <:GroupElem
 > Basic representation of element of a finitely presented group. `W.symbols`
@@ -77,8 +91,8 @@ syllables(w::GWord) = w.symbols
 ismodified(w::GWord) = w.modified
 setmodified!(w::GWord) = (w.modified = true; w)
 unsetmodified!(w::GWord) = (w.modified = false; w)
+Base.one(w::GWord) = one(parent(w))
 
-abstract type AbstractFPGroup <: Group end
 
 ###############################################################################
 #