Stop Saying It Wrong! Good vs Well in Real Life English | English podcast

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:01]This [music] is your everyday English class. Hello, welcome to English Cactus.

[00:00:06]My name is Anna >> and my name is Brian.

[00:00:10]>> This podcast [music] will help you practice your English in a fun and natural way, improving your listening skills. Have you ever said something like, "I did good." and then someone corrected you.

[00:00:23]>> Or maybe you learned a word, but in real life people use a different one and now you feel confused. If that's you, don't worry. This is very common. Many English learners feel stuck when words look similar but have different meanings.

[00:00:39]>> And here's something important.

[00:00:40]Sometimes what you learned is not wrong, but it's not the most natural way to speak.

[00:00:45]>> Today, we're going to show you simple differences like good versus well, and other tricky words that can completely change your message. And the best part, you'll learn how to use them in real conversations.

[00:00:59]>> After the dialogue, we'll explain everything, phrases, vocabulary, and tips. It will become much easier.

[00:01:07]>> And don't forget to subscribe to the channel. Your support is very important and it helps you keep learning with us.

[00:01:13]>> Also, tell us in the comments where are you from. So, grab your coffee, relax, and let's begin.

[00:01:24]Hey Sophia, I was studying English yesterday and I got confused. When do we use good and when do we use well?

[00:01:32]>> Oh, that's a very common question. Don't worry, you're doing great. Let's talk about it together.

[00:01:38]>> Thanks. So, I said I did good on my test, but my teacher corrected me. Why?

[00:01:45]>> Right. Your teacher is correct. In that sentence, you should say, "I did well on my test."

[00:01:51]>> H why well and not good?

[00:01:54]>> Because well is an adverb. We use adverbs to describe verbs. In your sentence, did is the verb. So we need well.

[00:02:04]>> Oh, I see. So good is not correct there.

[00:02:08]>> Exactly. Good is an adjective. It describes nouns, not verbs.

[00:02:13]>> Can you give me an example with good?

[00:02:15]>> Sure. You can say this is a good book.

[00:02:18]Here good describes the noun book.

[00:02:22]>> Got it? So good for things and well for actions.

[00:02:27]>> Yes, that's a simple way to remember.

[00:02:29]Keep going. You're learning something new.

[00:02:31]>> Nice. So if I say she sings good, is that wrong?

[00:02:36]>> Yes, that's not correct. You should say she sings well >> because sings is a verb, right?

[00:02:43]>> Exactly. You're doing great. What about this? I feel good today. Is that correct?

[00:02:49]>> Yes, that's correct. In this case, feel is a linking verb. So, we use an adjective like good.

[00:02:56]>> Linking verb. Sorry. What does that mean?

[00:02:59]>> No problem. A linking verb connects the subject to a description. Words like feel, be, seem.

[00:03:08]>> Oh, okay. So, I feel good is correct, but I feel well is different. Yes, I feel well usually means you are not sick. It talks about your health.

[00:03:20]>> Wow, that's interesting. So, the meaning changes.

[00:03:24]>> Exactly. English can be tricky, but you can do it. Study English every day.

[00:03:29]>> I will. Now, I have another question.

[00:03:32]What about fast and quickly? Are they the same?

[00:03:36]>> Great question. They are similar but used differently sometimes.

[00:03:41]>> Can I say he runs quickly? Yes, that's correct. Quickly is an adverb.

[00:03:46]>> And he runs fast.

[00:03:48]>> Also correct. Fast is special because it can be both an adjective and an adverb.

[00:03:54]>> That's confusing.

[00:03:56]>> I know. But don't worry. Let's practice.

[00:03:59]If you say he is a fast runner, fast is an adjective >> because it describes runner, right?

[00:04:06]>> Exactly. But in he runs fast, it describes the verb runs. So, it acts like an adverb.

[00:04:13]>> Wow, English is full of surprises.

[00:04:16]>> It is, but you're learning step by step.

[00:04:19]>> What about hard and hardly? I heard those, too.

[00:04:23]>> Ah, that's another tricky pair. They look similar, but the meaning is very different.

[00:04:28]>> Really? I thought they were the same.

[00:04:31]>> Not at all. Hard means with effort. For example, I study hard.

[00:04:37]>> Okay, that sounds normal. But hardly means almost not.

[00:04:41]>> Wait, what?

[00:04:42]>> Yes. For example, I hardly study means you almost don't study.

[00:04:47]>> Oh, no. That's the opposite.

[00:04:50]>> Exactly. So, be careful with that one.

[00:04:52]>> Thanks for the warning. I don't want to say the wrong thing.

[00:04:56]>> You're doing the right thing by asking questions.

[00:04:58]>> So, let me try. I study hard every day.

[00:05:03]>> Perfect. That sounds great. And I hardly study every day means I don't study much. Yes, exactly.

[00:05:11]>> This is really helpful. What about late and lately?

[00:05:15]>> Good one. Late means after the correct time, like I am late for class.

[00:05:21]>> And lately, >> lately means recently. For example, I've been very busy lately.

[00:05:27]>> Oh, that's very different, too.

[00:05:30]>> Yes. Many words in English look similar but have different meanings. I see. So, I need to pay attention.

[00:05:37]>> Exactly. But don't stress. Keep practicing and you will improve.

[00:05:41]>> Thanks, Sophia. You explain things so clearly.

[00:05:45]>> No problem. I'm happy to help.

[00:05:47]>> Can we do a quick practice?

[00:05:48]>> Sure thing.

[00:05:49]>> Okay. She did good on the project.

[00:05:53]>> Try again.

[00:05:54]>> She did well on the project.

[00:05:56]>> Perfect.

[00:05:57]>> This is a well movie.

[00:05:59]>> Not quite. Say, this is a good movie.

[00:06:03]Right. I'm learning.

[00:06:04]>> Yes, you are. Keep going.

[00:06:06]>> I feel well today.

[00:06:08]>> That works if you mean you are healthy.

[00:06:11]>> And I feel good today is more general.

[00:06:14]>> Exactly.

[00:06:15]>> This is making sense now.

[00:06:17]>> Great. Let's do one more.

[00:06:19]>> I hardly work every day.

[00:06:21]>> That means you almost don't work.

[00:06:24]>> Oh, then I should say I work hard every day.

[00:06:28]>> Yes, much better.

[00:06:29]>> Thank you so much, Sophia.

[00:06:31]>> You're welcome. Remember, learn something new every day.

[00:06:35]>> I will and I'll practice these words.

[00:06:37]>> That's the spirit. You're doing great.

[00:06:39]>> Thanks. See you next time.

[00:06:41]>> See you. Keep studying.

[00:06:45]>> Wow, that was a really nice conversation. Very natural and very useful, right?

[00:06:51]>> Yes. And remember, we always work hard to bring you the best content for free.

[00:06:56]>> Thank you so much for your support. Now, let's break everything down step by step. First, we're going to explain some important phrases from the dialogue.

[00:07:05]After that, we'll talk about vocabulary and then some cultural tips. Stay with us. It will be very helpful. Let's start with the first important moment. Lucas said, I did good on my test. This is a very common mistake. Many students say, "I did good." But the correct form is, "I did well." You can use this structure in many situations. For example, you can say, "I did well in my English class."

[00:07:31]Or, "She did well at work today."

[00:07:33]>> Exactly. And then Sophia corrected him and said, "I did well on my test." This is the correct way. Notice how well describes how the action happened.

[00:07:44]Another example, he played well in the game. You can also say, "You did well in your presentation." Very useful in real life. Next, Lucas asked, "She sings good. This is another common mistake.

[00:07:58]When we talk about actions like singing, running, speaking, we need an adverb.

[00:08:04]>> And Sophia corrected she sings well.

[00:08:07]Perfect correction. You can use this pattern in many ways. He speaks well.

[00:08:11]They work well together. Or you explain things very well. Try to practice these sentences out loud. Now, Lucas said, "I feel good today." This one is correct.

[00:08:23]And this is very interesting. Here feel is a linking verb so we use an adjective like good.

[00:08:30]>> Yes. And Sophia explained I feel well is different. It usually means you are healthy. So if someone asks you how do you feel? You can say I feel good.

[00:08:41]General feeling. I feel well talking about health. Another great part Lucas said I study hard every day. This is perfect. Hard here means with effort. It shows dedication.

[00:08:54]>> And then they compared it with I hardly study. This changes everything. Hardly means almost not. So I study hard means I study a lot. I hardly study means I almost don't study. Very important difference. Finally, Lucas said, I am late for class. This is very common in daily life. You can use it when you arrive after the correct time. And Sophia added, "I've been very busy lately." Lately means recently. You can say, "I've been tired lately." "I've been studying a lot lately." Very natural expressions.

[00:09:34]>> Now, let's talk about some important vocabulary from the dialogue. These are words you really need to know.

[00:09:40]>> Yes. And we'll explain them with examples so you can use them in real life.

[00:09:44]>> The first word is adverb. An adverb is a word that describes a verb. It tells us how something happens. For example, she speaks slowly. The word slowly is the adverb.

[00:09:57]>> Another example, he runs quickly. Here, quickly tells us how he runs. A good opposite example is slowly. So, you can compare he runs quickly versus he runs slowly. The next word is adjective. An adjective describes a noun. For example, this is a good book. The word good describes the book.

[00:10:19]>> Another example, she has a beautiful house. You can also compare with ugly as the opposite. This helps you expand your vocabulary. Next word is effort. Effort means how much energy you put into something. For example, I study with a lot of effort.

[00:10:38]>> You can also say she puts a lot of effort into her work. The opposite idea could be no effort or little effort.

[00:10:46]Another important word is correct.

[00:10:48]Correct means something is right. For example, this answer is correct >> and that's okay. Making mistakes is part of learning. You can say I learn from my mistakes. Last word is improve. Improve means to get better. For example, I want to improve my English.

[00:11:08]>> You can also say she is improving every day. That's your goal. Study English every day and improve step by step.

[00:11:16]>> Now, let's talk about some cultural tips. These small details can help you sound more natural.

[00:11:22]>> Yes, because learning English is not only about grammar, but also about how people really speak. First tip, in informal English, some native speakers say, "I did good." Even though it's not grammatically correct, you may hear it in movies or music.

[00:11:38]>> That's true. But for you as a learner, it's better to use the correct form. I did well. This will help you sound more professional.

[00:11:47]>> Another tip, when someone says, "You're doing great." It's a very common way to encourage someone.

[00:11:53]>> Yes, you can use it with friends, classmates, or even yourself, motivation is very important when learning a language.

[00:12:01]>> Next tip, be careful with words that look similar but have different meanings, like hard and hardly. This happens a lot in English. Another example is actually and currently. They look similar but the meaning is different. So always check the meaning.

[00:12:19]>> Another cultural point in conversations.

[00:12:22]It's very normal to correct people politely.

[00:12:24]>> Yes. Like Sophia did. She didn't say you are wrong. She explained in a kind way.

[00:12:31]You can say try again. Almost. Not quite. This is very common. and polite.

[00:12:38]>> Final tip, practice speaking out loud.

[00:12:41]Don't just read.

[00:12:43]>> Exactly. Repeat sentences like, "I did well today. I feel good. I study hard."

[00:12:51]This will help your pronunciation and confidence.

[00:12:54]>> That was a lot of great content.

[00:12:56]>> Yes. And you're learning step by step.

[00:12:58]Keep going. You're doing great.

[00:13:00]>> Now, let's practice in a more natural way, like real conversations.

[00:13:05]>> Yes. Imagine you are talking to someone.

[00:13:07]We'll give you ideas you can actually use in your daily life.

[00:13:11]>> Let's start with something very common.

[00:13:13]Imagine your friend asks about your day.

[00:13:16]>> You can say, I did well today. For example, I did well at work today. I finished everything. Or I did well in my English class. I understood a lot.

[00:13:26]>> Or if you want to talk about things, not actions, you can say it was a good day.

[00:13:32]For example, today was a good day. I feel happy or that was a good movie. I really liked it.

[00:13:39]>> Now imagine you want to talk about skills. You can say she speaks well or he drives really well.

[00:13:47]>> This is very useful in real conversations. For example, wow, you speak English very well. Or your brother cooks really well. That sounds very natural.

[00:13:57]>> Now let's talk about effort. You can say I'm trying to study hard. For example, I'm studying hard because I want a new job. Or I'm working hard to improve my English.

[00:14:10]>> This is powerful. You can use this to talk about your goals. It shows motivation.

[00:14:15]>> Now, be careful with this one. If you say, "I hardly study," this gives a negative idea.

[00:14:22]>> Yes. For example, I hardly practice English these days. This means almost zero practice. So, be careful because the meaning changes a lot. Now, let's talk about daily situations. If you arrive somewhere late, you can say, "Sorry, I'm late."

[00:14:39]>> Very common. You can also say, "Sorry, I'm a little late. Traffic was bad."

[00:14:44]This sounds very natural and polite.

[00:14:46]>> And if you want to talk about your recent life, you can say, "I've been very busy lately."

[00:14:52]>> For example, I've been very busy lately with work. Or I've been very tired lately, but I keep studying. Now, if you forget everything in a conversation, don't panic. You can use simple survival phrases like, "Sorry, can you repeat that?" or "I don't understand. Can you help me?"

[00:15:12]>> Or even, "Give me a second. That's a good question." These small phrases help you stay in the conversation.

[00:15:20]>> And remember, you don't need perfect English. You need communication.

[00:15:24]>> Exactly. Start simple. Speak clearly.

[00:15:28]Keep going. So today you learned something very important.

[00:15:32]>> Yes, you learned the difference between good and well and also other tricky pairs like hard versus hardly and late versus lately.

[00:15:42]>> These small differences can completely change your message.

[00:15:46]>> But now you understand how to use them in real life. That's a big step.

[00:15:50]>> Now let me ask you something. Are you still saying I did good >> or are you ready to say I did well with confidence?

[00:15:59]>> Are you practicing every day or are you hardly practicing?

[00:16:04]>> Think about that because small changes in your habits can create big results in your English.

[00:16:09]>> Remember, you don't need perfect English. You need consistent practice.

[00:16:14]>> Study English every day, even if it's just a few minutes. Listen, repeat, speak, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

[00:16:23]>> Mistakes are part of the process. That's how you improve.

[00:16:26]>> So, now it's your turn. Try to use at least one sentence from today in your daily life.

[00:16:32]>> Maybe say, "I did well today." Or, "I'm studying hard.

[00:16:36]>> Start small, but start today."

[00:16:39]>> And if this episode helped you, don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

[00:16:43]Share this with a friend who is also learning English >> and tell us in the comments what new word did you learn today.

[00:16:49]>> Keep practicing, keep improving. Take care and see you in the next