Say a good cook when you describe the person. Say she cooks well when you describe the action. The first word points at a noun, the second points at a verb, and that is the whole choice.
You already know both forms. The trouble starts because good and well do not follow the normal -ly pattern, and because a few verbs seem to ask for an adverb but do not. You say it smells good, not it smells well, even though smells looks like an action.
This contrast sits in the A2 to B1 range [1]. You will use it in every conversation, so it pays to fix it early. Learn the job test, learn the spelling, then learn the small group of exceptions that cause most mistakes.
Check what the word describes
Ask what your word points at. If it points at a noun, you need an adjective. If it points at a verb, an adjective or another adverb, you need an adverb.
Take a simple pair. You are a careful driver describes you as a driver, so careful is an adjective before a noun. You drive carefully describes how you drive, so carefully is an adverb after a verb. The meaning is close, but the job is different.
The same test works inside longer sentences. In she gave a clear answer, clear describes the noun answer. In she answered clearly, clearly describes the verb answered. Find the noun or the verb first, then choose.
Adverbs can also describe an adjective or another adverb. In a really good film, really describes good, so it is an adverb. In she speaks really quietly, really describes quietly, so it is again an adverb. If the word adds detail to anything except a noun, use the adverb form.
- a slow train points at the noun, so adjective. The train moves slowly points at the verb, so adverb.
- a warm welcome points at the noun, so adjective. She welcomed us warmly points at the verb, so adverb.
- very tired points at the adjective tired, so adverb. Very never describes a noun on its own.
Add -ly to make most adverbs
For most adjectives of manner you add -ly to make the adverb. Slow becomes slowly, quiet becomes quietly, and careful becomes carefully. You use these adverbs after verbs to say how someone does something.
Spelling changes follow three common patterns. Adjectives ending in -y change y to i before -ly. Adjectives ending in -le usually drop the e in a particular way, and adjectives ending in -ic add -ally. You do not need to memorise every word, only the pattern.
Watch the stress and the double letters as well. Basic becomes basically, not basicly. Terrible becomes terribly, not terriblely. Say both forms out loud and you will hear the extra syllable drop away in the correct version.
| Adjective | Adverb | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| happy, easy, heavy | happily, easily, heavily | -y changes to -i before -ly |
| terrible, gentle, simple | terribly, gently, simply | -le drops e and adds y |
| basic, tragic, automatic | basically, tragically, automatically | -ic takes -ally |
Use the adverb in a full sentence that names an action. She explained the rule patiently tells how she explained. He waited calmly tells how he waited. If you can ask how about the verb, the -ly form fits.
Use good for nouns and well for actions
Good is an adjective. It describes nouns and pronouns. Well is usually an adverb. It describes verbs. Keep that split and most sentences fall into place.
Say you did a good job because good describes the noun job. Say you did the job well because well describes the verb did. Say he is a good singer for the person, and he sings well for the action. You need both versions for the same idea.
Well is also an adjective when it means healthy. I am well means I am healthy, not that I do something well. She looks well means she looks healthy after illness. You do not look well means you look ill. In exams, British English keeps this health sense strict.
American speech often uses good where grammar books expect well. I am doing good sounds friendly in American conversation, but it means I am being good in standard grammar. For a test or a job interview, write I am doing well to mean things are going well for you.
Same idea, three jobs. Watch what the key word points at in each sentence.
You are a good cook cook.
Good is an adjective because it describes the noun cook. It tells what kind of person you are.
You cook well cook.
Well is an adverb because it describes the verb cook. It tells how you perform the action.
That soup smells good soup.
Smells is a linking verb, so good stays an adjective. It describes the soup itself, not the act of smelling.
She sings well sings.
Sings is an action verb, so well stays an adverb. It tells how she sings, not what kind of person she is.
adjectivenoun it describesverb formadverbverb it describeslinking verb
Linking verbs take an adjective
Some verbs do not describe actions. They link the subject to a description. After be, seem, look, feel, sound, smell and taste, use an adjective even though a verb comes first.
Say she looks tired because tired describes she, not the act of looking. Say that sounds strange because strange describes that idea. Say it smells good because good describes it. The verb is only a bridge between the noun and its description.
Action verbs work the other way. Say she looks closely when you mean she uses her eyes in a careful way. Say he feels softly only if you mean his fingers touch in a soft way, which is rare. Most of the time he feels sad or he feels ill is what you want, because you describe him.
Test by replacing the verb with is. If is still makes sense, you need an adjective. She looks tired becomes she is tired, which works. She sings beautiful becomes she is beautiful, which changes the meaning. You meant how she sings, so you need she sings beautifully.
Some adverbs never add -ly
A small group of words keeps the same form as adjective and adverb. Fast, hard, late, early, straight and long do not add -ly in normal use. Fastly is not a word, and hardly means something else entirely.
Learn them as pairs in real sentences. He is a fast driver uses fast before a noun, so adjective. He drives fast uses fast after a verb, so adverb. The form does not change, but the job does. The same holds for a late train and the train arrived late.
Hard follows the same rule. That was hard work describes the noun work. They work hard describes the verb work. Do not add -ly to make it feel more like an adverb. The bare form already does that job.
Early and straight behave the same way. We had an early start and we started early use the same word. Give me a straight answer and tell me straight use the same word. Trust the flat form when you hear it from careful speakers.
| Adjective use | Adverb use | Warning |
|---|---|---|
| a fast car, a hard task, a late bus | drive fast, work hard, arrive late | do not write fastly or hardily for these meanings |
| an early flight, a straight line | leave early, walk straight | the form stays the same, only the job changes |
Hardly does not mean hard
With a few words, adding -ly creates a different word with a different meaning. Hard means with effort. Hardly means almost not. Late means not on time. Lately means recently. Near means close. Nearly means almost.
This is where learners lose points. He works hard praises his effort. He hardly works criticises him and means he almost never works. The two sentences look alike, but they say the opposite. Keep them apart in speech as well as writing.
Late and lately cause the same flip. She arrived late means she missed the time. She arrived lately is not natural, and she has arrived lately would mean recently, not late. Use late for the clock and lately for recent time with the present perfect.
Near and nearly follow the pattern too. Come near means come close in space. I nearly missed the train means I almost missed it. High and highly are similar. Jump high describes height, while highly paid means very well paid. When in doubt, check the meaning before you add -ly.
✦ Test yourself
Test the choice in real sentences
Five short checks
You cooked this pasta ___.
That idea ___ strange, but it might work.
The bus was slow, but we still arrived ___.
My brother studies ___ for his exams.
She explained the delay ___.
Slova turns the ones you missed into a ten-minute lesson, in sentences about your own week.
Practise this in Slova →Fix five errors you hear every day
These five errors appear in class, at work and online. Each one has a clear fix. Say the right version out loud three times so your mouth learns it.
- "She sings beautiful." Beautiful describes she, but you mean how she sings. Say she sings beautifully. Keep she is beautiful for how she looks.
- "I am doing good." In standard English this means your behaviour is good. To say life or work is going well, say I am doing well. Save good for nouns, as in good news.
- "He works hardly." You mean he works a lot, so say he works hard. He hardly works means the opposite, that he almost never works.
- "He drives fastly." Fastly is not standard English. Fast is both adjective and adverb. Say a fast car and he drives fast.
- "You look happily today." Look here links you to your appearance. Say you look happy today. Use happily only for an action, as in you smiled happily.
Read your own messages before you send them. Find the word after the verb and ask what it describes. If it describes the person or thing, keep the adjective. If it describes the action, switch to the adverb. That ten second check removes most errors.
Tell Slova you mix up good and well. It will give you short drills from your own sentences and correct your endings as you speak.
Build a mini path →Conclusion
Adjectives describe nouns. Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Most adverbs add -ly, with spelling changes like happy to happily and basic to basically.
Good stays with nouns and well stays with actions, except when well means healthy. Linking verbs like look, feel and seem take adjectives. Flat adverbs like fast and hard never add -ly, and hardly and lately mean something else. Practise with pairs about your day until the choice feels automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Should I say good or well after feel?
Say I feel good for mood and I feel well for health in careful British English. Many Americans say I feel good for both. Do not say I feel well to mean happy.
Is fastly ever correct?
No, not in standard English. Fast is both adjective and adverb. Say a fast train and the train goes fast. The same holds for hard in the sense of with effort.
What is the difference between hard and hardly?
Hard means with effort, as in she works hard. Hardly means almost not, as in she hardly sleeps. They are opposites, so swapping them changes your meaning completely.
Why do we say it smells good, not well?
Smell here is a linking verb. It links it to its description. Good describes the thing itself. Well would describe the act of smelling, as in dogs smell well with their noses.
Sources
- Council of Europe. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: level descriptions. where this contrast sits in the A2-B1 range
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58. practice testing and distributed practice rated high utility