Do you do your job well or good? Do you have a well or a good level of English? Good and well are commonly confused since they are both used to describe. To know the clear difference between these two words, we need to learn how each one is used.
good:
Describes things, people, appearance, senses: looks, tastes, smells.
Examples:
– The pepperoni pizza smells good.
– You have a good work schedule, you always leave on time.
well:
Describes action verbs.
Examples:
– She swims well; she could win a gold medal.
– The family business is going well.
Don’t Say:
Mayra does her job good.
Say:
Mayra does her job well.
NOTE:
good
Good is also used as “a benefit”.
– What good will going to the gym do?
– I will be healthier.
well
Well is also used to describe health.
– Are you ok? You look sick!
– No, I don’t feel so well.
EXERCISE
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with good or well.
EXAMPLE: I work well with my colleagues.
*Note: A misspelled word counts as incorrect.
ANSWER KEY
1) The Italian restaurant is a good place to eat.
2) How well do you speak English?
3) You always come up with good ideas.
4) If you want to get a promotion, you need to perform well.
5) My company has many important clients, so we do business well.
KEY WORDS
– We can use “well” to start a conversation. For example, “Well, how was your day today?”
– “Well and swell” is another way to say “I am doing fine.” For example:
–How are you today?
–I’m doing well and swell.
– “For good”, is used to express something permanent. For example, “I will move to England for good.”
