Top Pages
Home
A-Z Glossary
Punctuation
A-Z Confused Words
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
Get a grammar checker
for your browser ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists Tests and Games Awkward Plurals Sayings and Proverbs Twitter YouTube
(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
Get a grammar checker
for your browser ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists Tests and Games Awkward Plurals Sayings and Proverbs Twitter YouTube
Good or Well?
"Good" or "Well"?
"Good" and "well" are often confused by writers. Ironically, this confusion is most prevalent among writers who think about how "good" and "well" are used grammatically. Those who choose the word that comes naturally rarely confuse "good" and "well."- "Good" is usually an adjective.
- A good solution
- I am good.
- "Well" can be an adjective or an adverb .
- A well specimen (i.e., a healthy specimen)
- I am well (in good health).
- He played well.
I Am Good/Well
The sentences "I am good" and "I am well" are both grammatically sound. Remember that "good" and "well" can both be used as adjectives. For example:- I am good.
- I am well.

Good
The adjective "good" means "of a fair or high standard."Example sentences with "good":
- My sister has enough money. She is good.
- Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
(Actor Will Rogers)
Well
The adjective "well" means "in good health."Example sentences with "well":
- My sister is over the virus. She is well.
- If you feel well and happy, your face will reflect this, but if you are having a miserable time, your face will soon show it.
(Actress Joan Collins)
More about "I Am Good" and "I Am Well"
Remember that both are correct.Confusion arises because some people (ironically, it's those who think about grammar) believe an adverb must be used to modify the verb "am," and they know that "well" is the adverb of "good."
In the sentences "I am good" and "I am well," the verb is "am." So, they are right about that, but "am" is not a normal verb. It is a linking verb, and that's the point they miss. A linking verb is followed by an adjective or a noun (called the subject complement). For example:
- I am flamboyant. (Here, "flamboyant" is an adjective. It is the subject complement following "am.")
- I am a man. (Here, "man" is a noun. It is the subject complement following "am.")
A Trick to Help with "Good" and "Well"
A good way to determine whether you need the adjective "good" or the adverb "well" is to use the word "quick" instead. If you find yourself drawn to "quickly," then you need "well" (as both are adverbs). However, if you find yourself drawn to "quick," then you need "good" (as both are adjectives).Ready for the Test?
Help Us To Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Next lesson >
See Also
adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose? What are adjectives? What are adverbs? What are nouns? What are linking verbs? List of easily confused wordsPage URL