good (well)

Use good to describe people or things (nouns) and well to describe actions (adverbs). After linking verbs (be, seem, feel, look, taste, sound) you usually use an adjective-so good-unless you mean health or recovery, in which case well fits.

Below are compact rules, quick rewrite patterns, and many real-world corrections you can copy into emails, essays, or texts.

Quick answer

Good = adjective (describes nouns). Well = adverb (describes verbs or how something is done). After linking verbs (look, feel, seem), use an adjective (good) for appearance or quality and well for health or condition.

If it answers How? → use well. Example: They performed well.
If it describes a thing or person → use good. Example: a good plan, a good student.
Casual speech often uses "I did good"; in formal writing use "I did well" unless you mean a charitable act.

Core explanation: adjective vs adverb

An adjective describes a noun. An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. If the word modifies an action, reach for well. If it labels a person or thing, use good.

Quick tests:

Adjective test: Can it go before a noun? (a ___ idea → a good idea)
Adverb test: Does it answer How? or In what way? (She sings how? → She sings well.)
Linking-verb note: After be/seem/look/feel, you usually need an adjective (good) unless you mean health (well).

Wrong: She sings good.
Right: She sings well.
Right: She looks good.

Grammar specifics & linking verbs

Linking verbs connect the subject to a complement that describes the subject. That complement is normally an adjective: "He seems tired," "They are happy." So after linking verbs you'd generally use good when describing appearance or quality.

Use well specifically to indicate health or condition: "She looks well" usually means she seems healthy; "She looks good" refers to appearance or attractiveness.

He looks good = pleasing appearance. He looks well = appears healthy.
I feel good = I'm fine or happy. I feel well = I'm medically OK or recovered.

Wrong: After the surgery, she looks good. (If you mean recovery, this risks implying cosmetic approval.)
Right: After the surgery, she looks well.
Usage: If you mean "appears attractive," use "looks good"; if you mean "has recovered," use "looks well."

Real usage and tone: formal vs casual

Casual speakers frequently say "I did good" and "I'm feeling good." In professional or academic writing, match grammar to meaning: use well for performance and good for quality, happiness, or appearance.

Work: say "did well" for performance; "looks good" for a visual assessment.
School: say "did well on the test" for results; "a good grade" for a noun.
Casual: "I'm feeling good" is fine for mood; "I feel well" emphasizes health.

Wrong: I did good on the report.
Right: I did well on the report.
Wrong: I'm feeling well about tonight's party.
Right: I'm feeling good about tonight's party.

Memory trick: three fast checks

Quick checklist you can run in your head:

What is being described? If it's a noun → good. If it's how something was done → well.
If a linking verb is present, ask: do I mean health? If yes → well; if not → good.
Try inserting very: "very good" (works as adjective) vs "very well" (works as adverb). That can help confirm your choice.

Mnemonic: Good = Good for nouns. Well = Works for verbs.
Rewrite example: Original: I did good on the interview. Action? Yes → I did well on the interview.
Rewrite example: Original: She looks well at the gala. Linking verb + appearance → She looks good at the gala.

How to fix your sentence: three reliable rewrite patterns

These patterns handle performance, appearance, and health ambiguity quickly.

Pattern A (action/performance): Replace "did good" → "did well."
Pattern B (linking verb + appearance): If you mean appearance, replace "looks/feels/sounds well" → "looks/feels/sounds good."
Pattern C (health clarity): If "well" is ambiguous, use "healthy," "recovered," or "in good health" for precision.

Rewrite:
Original: The team did good this quarter. → The team did well this quarter.
Rewrite:
Original: The candidate looks well in that photo. → The candidate looks good in that photo.
Rewrite:
Original: After the cold, he says he feels well. → After the cold, he says he feels healthy.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the word. Context usually makes the right choice obvious: noun vs action vs linking verb + health.

Examples and corrections - work, school, and casual (copy-ready)

Fifteen focused wrong/right pairs you can copy. "Wrong" shows common usage; "Right" is the clear option for formal or precise writing.

Work_wrong: He did good in the client meeting.
Work_right: He did well in the client meeting.
Work_wrong: This quarterly report looks well and professional.
Work_right: This quarterly report looks good and professional.
Work_wrong: Our team has done good work on the rollout.
Work_right: Our team has done good work on the rollout.
School_wrong: I did good on the midterm.
School_right: I did well on the midterm.
School_wrong: She writes good essays.
School_right: She writes good essays.
School_wrong: That exam went good.
School_right: That exam went well.
Casual_wrong: You played good tonight.
Casual_right: You played well tonight.
Casual_wrong: I'm not doing good today.
Casual_right: I'm not doing well today.
Casual_wrong: I did good by walking the dog for my neighbor.
Casual_right: I did good by walking the dog for my neighbor.
Rewrite_example: Original: She looks well after the makeover. If you mean "attractive,"
rewrite: She looks good after the makeover.
Rewrite_example: Original: They did good by volunteering. If you mean "performed well,"
rewrite: They did well; if you mean "performed a charitable act," keep "did good."
General_wrong: He sang good at the recital.
General_right: He sang well at the recital.

Hyphenation and related compound forms (well-known, good-looking)

When good or well combines with another word before a noun, use a hyphen to show a single modifier: a well-known author, a good-looking candidate. After the noun, drop the hyphen: The author is well known. The candidate looks good.

Before noun (hyphen): a well-known chef; a good-looking poster.
After noun (no hyphen): The chef is well known. The poster looks good.

Spacing, punctuation, and contractions

Spacing around words doesn't change for good/well, but punctuation and contractions affect tone and clarity. Use commas for contrasts and contractions for a casual voice.

Comma for contrast: "I'm well, but tired."
Contractions for casual tone: "I'm good" is casual; "I am well" sounds more formal.
Fix punctuation errors to avoid confusion: "Im not doing well today" → "I'm not doing well today."

Wrong: Im not doing well today
Right: I'm not doing well today.
Usage: Contrast: I'm good, but I could use more sleep.

Similar mistakes to watch

The same noun vs action test helps with pairs like bad/badly, pretty/prettily, fine/finely. Ask whether you're describing a noun (use adjective) or how something was done (use adverb).

Bad vs badly: "He is bad" (adjective). "He did badly" (adverb).
Pretty vs prettily: "She is pretty" (appearance). "She decorates prettily" (adverb, less common).
Linking-verb nuance: "He looks bad" (appears unwell). "He looks badly" (suggests poor eyesight or that the act of looking was impaired).

Wrong: He did bad on the quiz.
Right: He did badly on the quiz.

FAQ

Is "I feel well" correct?

Yes. Use "I feel well" to mean you are healthy or recovered. Use "I feel good" to express mood or general well-being.

Can I say "I did good"?

Informally, yes. In formal writing, use "I did well" to describe performance. Reserve "I did good" for cases meaning "I performed a good deed."

Which is correct: "She looks good" or "She looks well"?

"She looks good" usually means attractive or suitable. "She looks well" generally means healthy. Choose the one that fits your intended meaning.

How do I test my sentence quickly?

Ask: Am I describing a noun (use good) or an action/how something was done (use well)? If a linking verb appears, ask whether you mean health; if so, use well, otherwise use good.

Are there fast rewrite patterns I can rely on?

Yes. Replace "did good" with "did well" for performance. Replace "looks well" with "looks good" when you mean appearance. Replace "feels well" with "feels healthy" when you want to stress physical health.

Want a quick sentence check?

Paste a sentence into a grammar checker or ask a peer: decide whether you're describing a noun (good) or an action (well), then apply the rewrite patterns above. Repeat the quick checklist-noun vs action vs linking verb + health-until it becomes automatic.