You finish a big exam, walk out feeling confident, and tell your friend: “I did good on the test!” Later, someone asks how you’re doing and you say, “I’m doing good, thanks.” Both sentences felt perfectly natural. But were they correct? That’s exactly what the good vs. well debate is about, and the answer is: it depends. The longer explanation is what this lesson covers.
By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly when to use good and when to use well in American English, why the rule gets slippery with certain verbs, and how to apply a one-line fix whenever you’re not sure. This is one of those grammar points that sounds complicated until you see the pattern, and then it clicks.
Real grammar lessons like this one, grounded in how Americans actually speak rather than just what textbooks say, are exactly what Your Daily American is built around. Keep that in mind when you’re ready to go further.
The Foundation: What “Good” and “Well” Actually Do
Good is an adjective. That means it describes a noun or a state of being. It answers the questions “what kind?” or “what’s it like?”, and in standard usage, it generally does not answer “how?” (though informal speech is a different story, which we’ll get to). Think about sentences like: She is a good writer. That movie was really good. He made a good decision. In every case, good attaches to a noun or a subject, telling you something about its quality or condition.
Well is an adverb. That means it describes how an action happens. It answers the question “how?” Think: He speaks Spanish well. The surgery went well. She handled the situation well. In each of these, well attaches to a verb, telling you how the action was done.
The fastest way to lock in the good vs. well rule is to compare them side by side. “She is a good singer” (describing the person) versus “She sings well” (describing how she sings). “That was a good performance” (describing the thing) versus “He performed well” (describing the action). The pattern is consistent: good goes with nouns and states, well goes with verbs and actions. Major style guides, including Merriam-Webster and the Chicago Manual of Style, support this core distinction.
Good vs. Well with Linking Verbs: Where It Gets Tricky
Here’s where most learners hit a wall. A linking verb doesn’t describe an action. Instead, it connects the subject to a describing word. The most common linking verbs you’ll encounter are: be, feel, look, seem, sound, smell, taste, and appear. A quick test: if you can replace the verb with “is” or “are” and the sentence still makes sense, you’re dealing with a linking verb. For a clear, practical explanation of what a linking verb is, see Scribbr’s guide to linking verbs. If you want a compact refresher on verb forms that ties into how linking verbs work, check the 12 English Verb Tenses: A Pocket Guide for Non-Native Speakers.
After a linking verb, the describing word tells you something about the subject, not about the action. That means you need an adjective, not an adverb. This is why “the soup tastes good” is correct (good describes the soup, not the tasting) and “that idea sounds good” is correct (good describes the idea). Swapping in well would either change the meaning or just sound wrong.
Good vs. Well Examples After Linking Verbs
Here are a few more examples to make this feel automatic:
- That music sounds good. (describing the music)
- The roses smell good. (describing the roses)
- Your plan seems good to me. (describing the plan)
- She looked good at the event. (describing her appearance)
Notice that “that sounds well” or “the roses smell well” would either mean something entirely different or feel off to a native speaker. When a verb is linking, good is typically the right choice for quality, appearance, or general state, with one notable exception: after linking verbs, well is correct when it specifically means “healthy” (more on that just below).
“I Feel Good” vs. “I Feel Well”: What’s Actually Correct
Both are grammatically correct. After feel used as a linking verb, both good and well function as adjectives, but they carry slightly different meanings. “I feel good” expresses a general sense of well-being, your mood, energy, or overall state. “I feel well” is more specifically about physical health; it’s closer to saying “I’m healthy” or “I’ve recovered.” Merriam-Webster’s usage notes accept both forms, and context decides which one fits.
In everyday American conversation, “I feel good” is the more common choice, used after a workout, a solid night’s sleep, or a confidence boost. Merriam-Webster notes that “I feel good” is standard in informal American English, while “I feel well” is the safer option in formal or health-related contexts: after recovering from an illness, post-surgery, or when talking to a doctor. Here’s how both sound naturally:
- Casual setting: “I finally got eight hours of sleep. I feel good today.”
- Health context: “I had the flu last week, but I feel well enough to come back to work now.”
One more thing while we’re here: when someone asks “How are you?” and you say “I’m good,” that is completely normal in American English. “I’m well” is also correct and slightly more formal. “I’m doing good” is informal and very common in spoken American speech, though formal writing still prefers “I’m doing well.” In casual conversation, both land naturally, don’t overthink it.
Good vs. Well in Formal vs. Informal Contexts
You’ve heard Americans say “doing good,” “going good,” and “played real good” hundreds of times. That’s not necessarily a mistake. Adverbial use of good is deeply embedded in informal American speech, especially in casual conversation, sports commentary, and everyday check-ins. Merriam-Webster’s usage notes classify it as informal rather than incorrect in everyday speech. Learners who hear it constantly are hearing genuine, colloquial American English.
That said, the line shifts in formal contexts. In professional emails, job interviews, presentations, and academic writing, well is the standard and expected choice. “She did well on the exam” reads as polished and professional. “She did good on the exam” reads as casual. The content is the same; the register is different. In formal correspondence, a job-application follow-up, for example, some readers may view “doing good” as overly casual, so well is the safer option.
The practical takeaway: good as an adverb is fine in casual spoken American English. Well as an adverb is the safe, standard choice in writing and professional settings. When in doubt, use well.
Good vs. Well Usage Mistakes That Give ESL Learners Away
The most common error is using good to describe how something is done: “He explained it good,” “She dances good,” “They work good together.” All three need well, because they describe the manner of an action. The corrected versions: “He explained it well,” “She dances well,” “They work well together.” This pattern is especially common among learners whose first language is Spanish, Portuguese, or another Romance language. In Spanish and Portuguese, a single word like bien covers both the adjective and adverb roles that English splits between good and well, that first-language habit makes it natural to reach for good everywhere, even where English calls for well.
The opposite mistake is just as real: overcorrecting. Some learners hear the rule and start replacing every good with well, even when good is right. “That tastes well” (should be good, because taste is a linking verb here). “That’s a well idea” (good must precede a noun, not well). “You look well in that color” (this technically means you appear healthy in that color, not that the color suits you). Overcorrection creates different errors, not fewer. For a practical roundup of common confusions between these words, see this clear overview from Grammarly on good vs. well.
The good vs. well rule isn’t about replacing one word with the other across the board. It’s about reading what the word is doing in that specific sentence. Describing a noun or a state? Use good. Describing how an action happens? Use well.
The One-Line Rule, Plus Five Sentences to Test Yourself
Here’s the rule that handles the vast majority of cases: If the word describes a noun or a state, use “good.” If it describes how an action happens, use “well.” Keep two refinements alongside it: after linking verbs, use good for quality or appearance and well specifically when the meaning is “healthy”; and in informal speech, “doing good” is widely accepted, but well is the safer choice the moment you put something in writing.
Think of it this way: good is a noun’s best friend, and well is a verb’s right hand. When you’re not sure which one to use, ask yourself what the word is attached to. Noun or state: good. Action or manner: well. That question alone resolves most cases in seconds.
Now try these five good vs. well examples. Fill in the blank before reading the answer:
- “She presented the proposal ___.” (Action verb; how did she present? Well.)
- “The coffee smells ___.” (Linking verb; describes the coffee. Good.)
- “He’s been sick for a week, but he feels ___ now.” (Health context after linking verb. Well.)
- “How are you?” / “I’m ___.” (Casual greeting. Either good or well works; good is more common in American speech.)
- “In her cover letter, she noted that she writes ___.” (Formal writing, action verb. Well.)
If most of those felt natural, the pattern is already taking hold. If a couple tripped you up, ESL teaching research consistently shows that targeted practice on linking verbs and adjective/adverb forms builds accuracy quickly, so read back through the linking-verb section and try again.
Mastering good vs. well is a small shift that makes your English noticeably more precise, both in conversation and in writing. If you want to keep building fluency like this, grammar that actually matches how Americans speak, not just abstract rules on a page, Your Daily American has a full library of practical lessons covering grammar, pronunciation, idioms, and professional English, all organized so you can find what you need and make real progress. Explore our Daily Grammar collection for more bite-sized lessons, and learn more about Your Daily American to see how the site is organized.
