Good versus Well: grammar lesson

Today's Lunchbox Lesson, c/o Analytical Grammar/Grammar Planet: GOOD and WELL

GOOD: an adjective, modifying/describing a noun. It's typically used three ways:
1. before the noun it modifies ("Have a good time!")
2. after a verb of being ("That movie was good!")
3. after a linking verb ("Those cookies smell good!")

Good should not be used as an adverb to modify a verb.

It would be incorrect to say "I played good at piano practice today." 

It should read, "I played well at piano practice today."

WELL: an adverb, modifying/describing a verb. That means WELL tells *how* something is done. For example, "She did well on her AP exam." (How did she do? She did well!) For example, "He reads quite well for his age." (How does he read? He reads well!)

**In certain cases, well may be used as an adjective and be interchangeable with good:
1. to indicate good health (I feel good/I feel well)
2. to indicate satisfactory conditions (All is good in the city today/All is well in the city today)

GOOD and WELL both change to "better" and "best" in their comparative and superlative forms.

This is a good research paper.
It is much better than your last one.
In fact, it's the best paper in the class!

Everyone played well at the concert today.
The percussion section played better than the string section.
The brass section -- with the saxophone solo -- played the best!

GOOD is always an adjective modifying a noun.
WELL is usually an adverb, modifying a verb. It can, however, be used as an adjective only to describe good health or satisfactory conditions.