bad vs. badly

Tom Brady’s knee injury may have lowered our spirits, but that’s no reason to resort to bad grammar. New England coach Bill Belichick recently said, “We feel badly for Tom about the injury.”

Belichick’s attempt to speak correctly (and sound smart) didn’t pan out. When expressing an emotion, it is correct to say you feel bad. When you say “I feel badly,” badly describes your ability to feel. It suggests there’s something wrong with your sense of touch, as if your fingers are numb.

The same goes for verbs that describe other senses. “I smell bad” means you need to shower, while “I smell badly” means you’re schnoz isn’t functioning properly. (If you’re around someone who smells bad, it’d be advantageous to smell badly.)

Here’s the guiding principle that separates these occasions from the many others that do call for those -ly adverbs like badly or poorly. We’re using linking verbs, which differ from action verbs. Action verbs - such as hike, run, pass, block, catch and tackle - must be modified with adverbs. You run quickly. You pass well. You tackle ferociously. And so on. But linking verbs aren’t used for action; rather, they link words together and, hence, describe states of being. Linking verbs are modified by adjectives. You smell good. You feel bad. You look pretty. You seem smart. You look motivated. These states of being are properly described with adjectives.

Which brings us to that simple-but-paralyzing question: How are you?

It’s become vogue to respond, “I’m well.” However, unless you’re describing your health, the answer is good. If you’re have a perfectly fine day and no one is inquiring about your health, you’re doing good. But if you’re Tom Brady and you’ve finally recovered from a long, debilitating knee injury, the answer is, “I’m well.”

Got that?

Good!