it started good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it started good" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "it started well." You can use it when describing the positive beginning of an event or situation. Example: "The movie started good, but it lost my interest halfway through."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"It started good.

The New York Times - Sports

AOL TV's Brad Trechak wrote that it "showed a level of imagination that the recent Halloween episodes have been lacking" and that it "started good and got progressively better ".

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

None of it started out good, of course.

The New York Times

It starts with good organisation, good defence with no risk, and then a good counter-attack.

The Guardian - Sport

As with all good things, it started with a good name: The Cascara Latte.

Huffington Post

It started with a good deed.

The New York Times

"It started out real good.

Huffington Post

It started as all good random hookups do.

Huffington Post

This is where it starts getting good!

WikiHow

Your ears need to get used to it first, before it starts to sound good.

WikiHow

It started small and grew good and strong.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "it started well" or "it had a good start" to maintain grammatical accuracy. Although the phrase "it started good" is found in some sources, it's considered non-standard.

Common error

Remember that "good" is an adjective, while "well" is an adverb. Use "well" to describe how something started, as it modifies the verb.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it started good" functions as a simple declarative statement intended to convey that something had a positive beginning. However, as pointed out by Ludwig AI, the grammatically correct phrasing should be "it started well".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Academia

2.5%

Encyclopedias

2.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it started good" appears in various sources, Ludwig AI correctly identifies it as grammatically incorrect. The proper form is "it started well", using the adverb "well" to modify the verb "started". Although the phrase is somewhat common, especially in news and informal contexts, using grammatically correct alternatives such as "it began well" or "it had a good start" is advisable for clear and accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it began well

Replaces "started" with "began" and "good" with "well" for grammatical correctness.

it opened well

Uses "opened" as a synonym for "started" and "well" for "good" ensuring grammatical correctness.

it started promisingly

Replaces "good" with the adverb "promisingly" to describe the manner of starting.

it had a good start

Uses a noun phrase to describe the beginning as positive.

it got off to a good start

Uses the idiom "get off to a good start" to convey a positive beginning.

it initiated positively

Replaces "started" with "initiated" and "good" with the adverb "positively".

it commenced favorably

Uses more formal language, replacing "started" with "commenced" and "good" with "favorably".

it started auspiciously

Replaces "good" with "auspiciously" to indicate a favorable start.

its beginning was positive

Focuses on the beginning as being positive.

the initial phase was good

Emphasizes the initial phase with a descriptive adjective "good".

FAQs

Is "it started good" grammatically correct?

No, "it started good" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing is "it started well". Using "well" is important because it is an adverb, and adverbs should be used to modify verbs such as "started".

What can I say instead of "it started good"?

You can use alternatives like "it began well", "it had a good start", or "it started promisingly" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "it started good" or "it started well"?

"It started well" is the correct form. "Good" is an adjective and cannot be used to modify the verb "started". "Well" is an adverb and can modify the verb.

What's the difference between "it started good" and "it was a good start"?

"It was a good start" is grammatically sound because "good" modifies the noun "start". "It started good", however, is grammatically incorrect because the adjective "good" cannot modify the verb "started". The correct form is "it started well".