We struggle with these two because “well” can be both an adjective and an adverb. “Well” (adjective) is the opposite of “sick,” or it can mean “more than satisfactorily” as an adverb.
“Good,” on the other hand, is only an adjective, the opposite of “bad.”
To complicate matters, both have the same comparative forms: “better” and “best.”
Table of Contents
Good as adjective
Examples:
- There was an old lady who ate … practically everything. She had a good appetite.
- (“good” = adjective modifying “appetite”)
- When she was younger, she did eat everything. She had a better appetite.
- (“better” = “more good,” adjective)
- The old woman who lived in a shoe admonished her children, “Be good.”
- (“good” = adjective after the linking verb, “be”)
- Near Christmas time, she advised them to be on their best behavior.
- (“best” = “most good,” adjective modifying “behavior”)
Well as adverb
- Every day when she set the table, she made sure they would eat well.
- (“well” = adverb modifying “eat”)
- When they did not, she encouraged them to eat better.
- (“better” = “more well,” adverb modifying “eat”)
- When she put them to bed, she told them, “Sleep well.”
- (“well” = adverb modifying “sleep”)
- If they had a busy day, she told them to sleep the best they could.
- (“best” = “most well,” adverb modifying “sleep”)
Well as adjective
- When they were sick, she admonished them, “Be well.”
- (“well” = adjective with linking verb, the opposite of “sick”)
- She would often ask them, “Are you better yet?”
- (“better” = “more well,” adjective with linking verb = “less sick”)
- When they had a normal temperature, they were best.
- (“best” = “most well,” adjective with linking verb = “not sick”)
Credit: Photo by Jamie Street, Photo by Lidya Nada on Unsplash