ESEN
Which one to use?Beginneradjetivoadverbio / adjetivo
GoodvsWell
'Good' is an adjective describing nouns; 'well' is an adverb describing verbs (and as an adjective means 'in good health').
Side-by-side comparison
Good
adjetivo"Good" is an adjective: it describes what something or someone is like. It always accompanies a noun or follows linking verbs like "be", "feel", "look", "seem".
That was a really good decision, taking the longer route avoided the worst of the traffic.
I feel good about the interview. I was well prepared and the questions were exactly what I expected.
She is a good listener, people always feel heard after talking with her.
Well
adverbio / adjetivo"Well" is an adverb: it describes how something is done or how it functions. It goes with action verbs. It also works as an adjective only when you are talking about health.
He speaks English extremely well for someone who only started studying it two years ago.
The presentation went well, the audience asked great questions and the CEO seemed impressed.
She has not been well since the operation, she needs more time to recover fully.
Common mistake
"She did good" is grammatically wrong: "do" is an action verb and needs an adverb ("well"), not an adjective ("good"). Exception: state verbs (feel, look, seem, taste, sound) take "good" because they describe the subject's state, not an action. "I feel good" is correct.
Trick to remember it
- •Is the word modifying a noun? "Good".
- •Modifying an action verb (run, sing, work, do)? "Well".
- •State verbs (feel, look, seem, taste, smell, sound): take "good" because they describe how you are, not how you act.
Quick rule
- •"Good" = adjective (nouns + state verbs like feel, look, seem).
- •"Well" = adverb (action verbs).
- •As an adjective, "well" only means "in good health".
Did you know?
"I am doing good" vs "I am doing well" is one of the most famous grammar debates in modern English. "I am doing good" is so common in colloquial American English that Merriam-Webster and other dictionaries already accept it as valid informal usage. The irony: "I am doing good" can technically mean "I am doing good in the world" (good as a noun = moral good), which is the opposite of what most people intend. "I am doing well" (adverb) is the formally correct way to say you are fine. The good/well confusion persists at all levels of English proficiency because native speakers make it every day too.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She plays the violin very _____. She has been learning for ten years.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
That's a really _____ idea. We should try it.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
BoredvsBoring
One describes how you feel, the other describes what causes that feeling.
LayvsLie
'Lay' is transitive (to place something); 'lie' is intransitive (to recline, no direct object needed).
RisevsRaise
One rises by itself, the other you raise with your own effort.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy