Posted by megan, a resident of the Deer Oaks/Twelve Oaks neighborhood, on Apr 9, 2008 at 5:39 am

How are you?

I am doing good.

Correct when not referring to how you are doing physically

How are you?

I am well.

Correct when referring to how you are doing physically

Posted by frank, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on Apr 9, 2008 at 10:17 pm

Ok. I will take the bait and will respond to this post.

Poster says: "I am doing good" is "Correct when referring to how you are not doing physically". Is this ever correct? The poster seems to imply that there is an implied noun that somehow twists this expression into describing non-physical well-being that justifies the use of an adjective to modify a verb. Please construct an example for us to understand how it is correct.

Oh, let me do it for you. "I am doing good things for you." Or, "I am doing good things to you." Yes, this is correct. But saying "I am doing good" is INCORRECT. If you dont' complete your sentences, how is anyone to really know what you are talking about.

The rule still holds. The word "good" is modifying or describing the unstated word "things" in this example. You post suggest that you don't really understand the rules of English and implies the rule somehow changes because you left unsaid part of the sentence.

Read the original article about this example where the grammar rule is that adverbs apply to describing a verb or an adjective while adjectives always describe nouns. (That's why you call them ADverbs.) "Good" in this case is always an adjective (you should already know that - it is never an adverb) and "well" is always an adverb in the English language. Since the "good" describes how you "am doing", the usage is WRONG in the example. "am doing" is a (compound) verb. The word "well" should be used. Always.

Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore, on Apr 10, 2008 at 10:18 am

Is there a place in PTown for "I been had a good time!" Hmmmmmmmm...