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Good vs. Well 2178 Views
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Description:
This video explains the difference between good and well—and, more importantly, when to use each one.
Transcript
- 00:04
Good versus Well, a la Shmoop. Jenny's long drive from Omaha to Memphis went
- 00:10
well because the music on the radio was good.
- 00:15
That is, if you consider country music “good.”
- 00:18
Here's the rule for “good” and “well”...
- 00:22
...use the adjective “good” after linking verbs...
Full Transcript
- 00:27
...and the adverb “well” to modify action verbs.
- 00:31
Now, if you've never heard of a linking verb before...
- 00:34
...let us explain. A linking verb is a verb that is less about action and more about connecting
- 00:38
words together.
- 00:40
“To smell” can often be a linking verb, so let's look at it in an example with “good”
- 00:46
and “well”. When you say, “My grandma smells good”...
- 00:49
...you mean that she smells like the Chanel perfume she likes to wear...
- 00:55
...or the chocolate chip cookies she just finished baking.
- 00:58
You'd never say, “My grandma smells well”...
- 01:00
...unless you were bragging about her uncanny ability to hunt down dirty socks with her
- 01:04
super-sensitive nose. Let's look at some action verbs.
- 01:09
You wouldn't say “Elaine reads good”. You'd say “Elaine reads well”.
- 01:14
You wouldn't say “Mike plays the piano good”. You'd say “Mike plays the piano well”.
- 01:19
In these examples, the adverb “well” is modifying the action verbs “reads” and
- 01:23
“plays”. Using the word “well” can prove a little
- 01:26
confusing because, in some instances, “well” works as a predicate adjective.
- 01:31
The best example of this is when you say, “I am well.”
- 01:35
Here, the linking verb “am” and the predicate adjective “well” come together to mean
- 01:39
you're healthy, as in… you've fully recovered from an illness.
- 01:42
If, however, you haven't had to visit a doctor in ages...
- 01:45
...because germs wither up and die when confronted with your incredible immune system...
- 01:50
...and someone asks how you are...
- 01:52
...you may safely reply, “I'm good.” Remember, the rule is...
- 01:57
...use the adjective “good” after linking verbs...
- 01:59
...and the adverb “well” to modify action verbs.
- 02:03
Now, all you need for that road trip to Memphis is some beef jerky and a water bottle for…
- 02:09
emergencies.
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