Adjectives describe nouns. Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Most of the time that is easy. Two places cause trouble: good and well, and the linking verbs. Build on Comparing with Adjectives and Adverbs.
- Good is an adjective: a good game. Well is usually an adverb: she played well.
- After a linking verb (be, seem, feel, look, smell, taste, sound, become), the word describes the subject, so it is an adjective: “I feel bad.” “The soup smells good.”
- After an action verb, use an adverb: “She sings well.” “Drive carefully.”
- A few words work both ways with no -ly: fast, hard, late (“She runs fast”).
Key idea
Ask what the word describes. A thing or a person (or the subject after a linking verb): adjective. An action: adverb.
Why it works
The two forms mean different things. “The dog smells bad” means it needs a bath. “The dog smells badly” would mean its nose doesn’t work well.
Worked example: How did you do?
You did (good / well) on the quiz.
- The word describes how you did: an action.
- Actions take the adverb: well.
Answer: You did well on the quiz.
Worked example: A linking verb
I feel (bad / badly) about the mix-up.
- Feel links the subject to a description of it.
- The word describes I, so use the adjective bad.
Answer: I feel bad about the mix-up.
Worked example: Same verb, two jobs
The dog sniffed (careful / carefully). The milk smelled (sour / sourly).
- Sniffed is an action: carefully tells how.
- Smelled here links the milk to a description: sour describes the milk.
Answer: The dog sniffed carefully. The milk smelled sour.
Common mistake
Writing “did good” for “did well,” or overcorrecting to “I feel badly.” Many people say “I feel badly” in conversation to mean they regret something; formal writing uses “I feel bad.” Well is also an adjective about health: “I feel well” (not sick). “I feel good” and “I feel well” are both standard.