If somebody asks "How are you?" -- what is the correct response? "I'm good" or "I'm well"?
I was taught at school that "good" is an adjective, while "well" is an adverb. This seems to commend "I'm good" as a response to that most frequently asked question. The phrase can mean either "I'm morally upright" or, more commonly, "I'm free from adversity and sorrow." By similar reasoning "I'm well" seemed incorrect, unless "well" could be interpreted as an adjective modifying the verb "to be" and conveying something along the line of: "I'm doing a good job existing."
Despite this, I never felt comfortable with "I'm good." "I'm well" seemed instinctively preferable but formally incorrect, so I lived for a long time in confused agnosticism. I used to avoid the whole issue with "I'm doing well" which allowed "well" to fulfill its familiar adverbial role.
Finally I consulted the OED, which confirmed that "well" can also be an adjective describing "a state of good forture, welfare, or happiness." In this usage it means "not ill."
Conclusion: "I'm good" and "I'm well" are both correct. Use according to personal preference. However, if any doubts remain, "I'm fine, thank you" offers a welcome safety net.
8 comments:
holy cow child. that was intense.
but i always say i'm good. and when james says that's incorrect, i inform him that the new generation is taking over the world and changing the grammar and that in 20 years everyone will be saying it. :-D
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that the grammar's changing
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when everybody says "I'm good"
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right...
I'm in a trivial mood today :-D
This just shows that you should have left well enough alone...
Brian
Whether or not "I'm good" is correct or not, it's still wrong, as I constantly inform Sirius. :-P
I'm glad to know that my long held preference for "I'm well" has some justification. :-)
'Well' and 'good' have radically different meanings. "I'm well" communicates the fact the speaker is healthy, physically and emotionally. "I'm good" on the contrary is a claim to moral rectitude and is therefore not only presumptuous but presumably incorrect.
'Good' can be a claim to moral rectitude, but it can also mean 'free from adversity and sorrow.' See Merriam Webster or the OED.
I'd be grateful if people leaving comments on this blog would sign them.
So why do St Ebbe's people always ask you 'are you well then?' and 'are you alright?'- and what is the appropriate answer?
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