The Difference Between Well and Good

Proper grammar has always been important to me.

I grew up in the deep south but I have extended family far above the Mason-Dixon line. I remember the first time I went to go visit them. I was ten years old and when I uttered the southern hallmark colloquialism "y'all", it felt as though time stood still. All conversation stopped and I almost heard a robotic creaking as all heads turned to me in disbelief. I could have died on the spot.

Of course this is an exaggeration, but this is how it honestly felt to my fragile pre-teen self. Right then and there I vowed to neutralize my southern accent, and grammar and pronunciation became my obsession.

Since then, this compulsion for accurate grammar has haunted me and has become almost second nature to the point where I mentally correct the grammar of what I hear.

 Two weeks ago my best friend from high school shared an article from MentalFloss.com called The Top 10 Grammar Myths. She stated that there was one point on there that she did not quite agree on. Number 8 to be exact.


8. IT'S INCORRECT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION "HOW ARE YOU?" WITH THE STATEMENT "I'M GOOD."

Wrong! “Am” is a linking verb and linking verbs should be modified by adjectives such as “good.” Because “well” can also act as an adjective, it's also fine to answer "I'm well," but some grammarians believe "I'm well" should be used to talk about your health and not your general disposition.

I have to agree with her. There are many reasons why 'good' and 'well' are not interchangeable.


About a week before my friend shared the article, I was trying to get minion Number 2 to fall asleep. This usually entails laying down with her in the complete dark and just waiting for her to wind down. (She usually goes to bed pretty easily.) We had been laying thusly for about 15 minutes. Everything in the house is quiet. I was sure she was almost asleep as she was also laying very still.

"People taste good."

That one little statement uttered without warning and without further elaboration cut through the silence. Many thoughts swirl through my confused brain. I have to admit the statement did have cannibalistic/zombie under tones.

Then I remembered that Number 2 is still working on grammar structures and finally realized that this was a perfect moment to emphasize the difference between well and good.

What my daughter meant to convey was that people have a great sense of taste. (i.e. - They can taste well.) Instead she said that they taste good implying that the taste of people pleases her. She also got a brief age appropriate lesson on cannibalism.

Furthermore, I always see the differences in good vs well in answer to 'How are you?' to be pretty distinctive as well.

For example: How are you doing in school?

I am doing well. -- To me this implies that you are learning and completing work and other assignments and generally earning decent to good grades.

I am doing good. -- To me this implies that you are doing feats for the greater good as if you are attending a school for super heroes.

So if in the future you begin to wonder if the difference between well and good is as big a deal as it is made out to be, Just remember, it could come down to whether or not people have a great sense of taste and cannibalism. 

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