good thanks

In the german language the word for good and well are the same - gut. It's understandable that on occasion a mistake might be made. What I don't understand is that no german I know gets it correct with any degree of frequency.

Here's the simple rule

• If the referent is a noun, use the word good.
  
• If the referent is a verb, the correct word is well.
  

Examples

• He is a good programmer / He programs well
• The fish was good / The fish was cooked well
• That's great design / That's very well designed
  

The obvious exception is if someone asks how you are. You may answer "good thanks" or "well thanks". The answer according to the rules above suggest that good is the correct word to use. Well may be used here instead because when applied to people, the adjective well usually refers to a state of health.

I'm sure that there are many exceptions and I hope they are less confusing than the german language reform. What a great idea to make the language easier by consolidating all of the rules apart from some exceptions...