The battle between good and well

November 16th, 2008 at 07:00am Barry Wood

Earlier in the week I promised “Judy” that I would blog about “good” and “well.” Then the Internet went down. But now it’s back, and so am I.

As for her specific example of “you done good,” I have been known to say that myself, but only for comic effect — because it’s dreadfully wrong. (If you hope to be funny when saying things like that, be sure of your audience.)

However, if you use the right verb tense, it can be correct to say “you did good,” if the praise is for a deed that benefits others. This is where the informal “do-gooder” comes from.

“You did well” means something else: The praise is then directed at the performance, not a result of it.

My sons do well in school. As Boy Scouts, they also get to do good.

Most problems with “good” (an adjective) and “well” (usually an adverb) arise with the use of “linking verbs” (also called “copulative”), principally “be,” “become,” “appear,” “seem,” “feel,” “sound,” “taste,” and sometimes “get” and “grow.”

The usual examples involve “feel”:

“I feel good” and “I feel bad” can be comments on my mood or my health.

By contrast, some argue, “feel badly” and “feel well” refer to the sense of touch, although such usage would have to be rare.

Actually, using “feel well” in reference to a person’s health is acceptable idiom.

I like to think of “feeling good” as a state of mind and “feeling well” as a state of health.

I would stay away from “feel badly” altogether.

A word of caution: As Mark Davidson points out in “Right, Wrong, and Risky,” just memorizing a list of linking verbs can still get you into trouble, because some them also can act as “action verbs.”

For example, “feel strong” refers to physical condition, while “feel strongly” is about emotions.

I hope this helps you feel better about “good” and “well.” If so, all’s well that ends well — unless it’s good.

Entry Filed under: word choices, perplexing pairs