Good vs Well at a glance
- good
/ɡʊd/ · adjective
Of high quality or pleasant; it describes a noun.
- That was a really good film.
- Your English is very good.
- well
/wel/ · adverb / adjective
As an adverb, in a good way; as an adjective, healthy.
- You speak English very well.
- I had a cold last week, but I'm well now.
How to remember it
Good goes with nouns, well goes with verbs: a good singer sings well.
Good to know
After verbs like be, look, feel, sound and taste, use good: "This soup tastes good." But for health, use well: "I'm well, thanks" means you're not ill. "I'm good" is common in casual speech as a reply to "How are you?", but "I'm well" is safer in formal English.
Common mistakes
Wrong: She plays the piano very good.
Right: She plays the piano very well.
Wrong: He's a well cook.
Right: He's a good cook.
Quick quiz
1.Did you sleep last night?
2.This is a place to study.
3.The team played really on Saturday.
Pick the right word for each gap.