Because I had a friend who never missed an opportunity to correct me on this particular grammar usage, here's my favorite. (That corrects him right back. ha!)
Enjoy...
Is it "good" or "well"?
There are people out there who insist that "I am well" is the only acceptable answer to the question, "How are you?"
They are wrong, bless their starchy little hearts.
It is true that adverbs modify verbs, and "am" is a form of the verb "to be." This is a special kind of verb. Called a "linking verb," it connects a subject to additional information. It's not an action verb.
Just as the sentence "Kermit the frog is green" is correct, while "Kermit the frog is greenly" is not, "I am good" is a correct way to answer the question.
Here's the kicker, though. "I am well" works, too. It has a slightly different meaning, and describes your state of health. So, if you want to reveal your glowing physical condition, by all means say, "I am well." If you merely want to say stuff in your life is hunky-dory, "I am good" is just fine.
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