it served good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it served good" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate expression would be "it served well." Example: "The strategy was effective, and it served well in achieving our goals."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"It served a purpose, and hopefully part of it served good purposes.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

It serves good local ales and great pizza, too.

The Guardian - Travel

Musical backdrop or no, it serves good solid Calabrese pasta dishes, including fileja con nduja and spaghetti with mild red Tropea onions, as well as grilled spicy sausages and pizzas.

The Guardian - Travel

However, it serves good to remember that, not everything that counts is countable.

BMC Public Health

Narcissa Vanderlip ran the school lunchroom, and it is recorded that she served good simple food.

Wikipedia

Second, it must serve good food, but, even more important, it must have superb service.

Forbes

Served good red chile.

The New Yorker

These pubs served good beer.

Forbes

It served very good Northern Italian food but was equally renowned for its Christmas decorations.

The New York Times

The writers acknowledged time travel had been overused in the other series, but it served a good purpose in creating a new set of adventures for the original characters before they could completely do away with it in other films.

Wikipedia

"Southwest doesn't offer food," he said, "but in surveys it is consistently rated as serving good meals.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "well" instead of "good" when modifying a verb. For example, instead of "it served good", use "it served well" to ensure grammatical correctness.

Common error

A common mistake is using the adjective "good" to modify a verb. Remember that adverbs (like "well") modify verbs, while adjectives (like "good") modify nouns. Using "it served good" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "it served well".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it served good" functions as a declarative statement, attempting to describe the quality of service or contribution provided by something. However, the use of the adjective "good" to modify the verb "served" results in grammatical incorrectness, as identified by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Wiki

32%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it served good" might be intuitively understood, it is grammatically incorrect in standard English. As highlighted by Ludwig, the correct phrasing is "it served well". Although examples can be found in various contexts, the grammatical error impacts the phrase's overall effectiveness. To convey similar meanings, consider using alternatives like "it was beneficial" or "it proved useful" to ensure clarity and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it served well

Replaces "good" with the adverb "well" to correct the grammatical structure.

it was beneficial

Substitutes the verb phrase with an adjective to convey a similar meaning of providing a benefit.

it proved useful

Emphasizes the utility or practicality of something.

it had a positive effect

Focuses on the positive outcome or impact of an action or thing.

it fulfilled its purpose

Highlights the completion of a specific goal or objective.

it was advantageous

Indicates that something provided an advantage or benefit.

it contributed positively

Focuses on the act of contributing to a favorable outcome.

it yielded positive results

Emphasizes the favorable results or outcomes produced.

it provided a benefit

Directly states that something offered a benefit or advantage.

it functioned effectively

Highlights the effective or successful operation of something.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "it served good"?

The grammatically correct way is to say "it served well". The word "well" is an adverb that modifies the verb "served", while "good" is an adjective that modifies a noun.

What can I say instead of "it served good" to mean it was useful?

You can use phrases like "it was beneficial", "it proved useful", or "it had a positive effect" to convey the meaning of usefulness.

Is "it served good" ever considered acceptable in English?

No, "it served good" is generally not considered acceptable in standard written or spoken English. The correct phrase is "it served well".

How does "it served well" differ in meaning from "it served its purpose"?

"It served well" generally implies that something functioned effectively or provided a benefit. "It served its purpose" specifically means that something achieved its intended goal or objective.