Good vs. Well
Good is an adjective while well is an adverb answering the question how.
Examples:
You did a good job.
Good describes job, which is a noun, so good is an adjective.
You did the job well.
Well answers how the job was performed.
Rule: With the four senses–look, smell, taste, feel–discern if these words are being used actively to decide whether to follow them with good or well.
Examples:
You smell good today.
Good describes you, not how you sniff with your nose.
You smell well for someone with a cold.
You are sniffing actively with your nose here so use the adverb.
She looks good for a 75-year-old grandmother.
She is not looking actively with eyes so use the adjective.
Rule: When referring to health, always use well.
Examples:
I do not feel well today.
You do not look well.
Rule: When describing someone’s emotional state, use good.
Example: He doesn’t feel good about having cheated.
So, how should you answer the question, “How are you?” If you think someone is asking about your physical well-being, answer, “I feel well,” or “I don’t feel well.” If someone is asking about your emotional state, answer, “I feel good,” or “I don’t feel good.” To get around this problem, you could answer, “I feel fine,” “I feel great,” or “I feel sick.”
Quiz
1. She jogged very good/well for her age.
2. She had a good/well time yesterday.
3. With a high fever, it is unlikely he will feel good/well enough to play basketball tomorrow.
4. Those glasses look good/well on you.
Answers
1. well
2. good
3. well
4. good
Posted on Friday, April 6th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
24 Responses to “Good vs. Well”
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Thank you, thank you, and thank you again, Jane Straus.
Your web page seems to be something I’ve been looking for for so many years! It’s EXCELLENT!
And now, speaking of the differences between the adjective ‘good’ and the adverb ‘well’. It wasn’t until a moment ago that I found out that you can use an adverb with the verbs of senses, like ‘smell’ or ‘look’. You presented the usage in a brilliant way! But, as I wrote earlier, I didn’t know that.
Looking forward for any comment on my comment.
What can I say except thank you for the lovely acknowledgment. You made my day!
Just the way as you did mine, Jane. From yesterday on, I’m going to be HERE every and each day of my presence on the Net! I’ve got so much helpful information to read in your brilliant Blue Book, and right here, in your extremely interesting Grammar Blog!
Thank you.
You’re very welcome!
Can we answer “I’m good” if someone asks “How are you?” ?
Technically, when referring to health, we should use “well.” However, so few people answer this way that “good” is becoming more accepted as a response.
Thank you Jane for answering my question. I found your website is extremely helpful for a second language learner like me. Again, many thanks!
You’re welcome!
Is it okay to say, “Either day works great for me!” Versus “Either day works well for me?”
Yes.
No, it isn’t, it may be an adverb in American circles but if you are using English internationally then stay clear of it. Works great can suggest a lack of education, given it is actually an adjective….
Thank you for pointing out that the use of “great” as an adverb is considered “informal” in international circles. However, numerous dictionaries published in the US acknowledge that “great” can be used as an adverb. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation and http://www.GrammarBook.com are guides for proper use of American English.
I learned something from your excellent post. One thing that you do not address is the answer, “I am doing good.” to the question, “How are you?” This is incorrect unless they are telling you that they are doing something that is beneficial. The correct statement, when using doing, would be to say, “I am doing well.” The mistake would be similar to someone saying, “I do not smell very good.” when they mean that their sense of smell is not functioning as it should.
You make an excellent point! We do hear “I am doing good” used quite often in response to “How are you?” It seems to be quite common in “informal” English. Since this is another phrase that seems to be frequently misused, we will consider adding it to our next edition of Grammarbook.
I just thought of something else. When someone asks, “How are you doing?” instead of “How are you?” what is the correct response?
There are a number of different responses that could be used. A few examples might be:
“I am doing well.”
“I am doing fine.”
“I am not doing well.”
I am thinking about wearing a sign that says, “…doing well” since it seems everyone in my world has begun to use the word good when they should be using well!! Any supporters out there?
Don’t immediately dismiss the person wearing the sign, “doing good.” They may be out there performing good deeds!
What about “The cookies came out good.” meaning they were baked and they were good cookies . BUt should it be “well” ? Are we talking about how they came out or whether they tasted good?
If you said, “The cookies came out good,” that would indicate that they came out tasting good. To remove any doubt, you could say, “The cookies came out tasting good.” If you said, “The cookies came out well,” that would indicate that the cookies were baked well.
Jane, you indicate above that “I am doing fine” is an appropriate response to the question, “How are you doing?” But how does “fine” in this case differ from using “good?”
“I am doing fine.”
“I am fine.”
“I am doing good.”
“I am good.”
Saying “I am doing fine” would be similar to “I am doing very well.” Using the phrase “I am doing good” could be misinterpreted as “I am doing something beneficial.”
Yes, the interpretation issue makes sense; I guess what I was more unsure of was how “fine” was functioning differently from “good” in this case. Is “fine” functioning as an adverb, or is “am doing” functioning in a linking capacity, with “fine” modifying “I” in its usual role as an adjective?
The word “fine” in this sentence is functioning as an adverb meaning “very well.”