These two terms are very popular in writing. However, many people believe that they mean the same thing and can therefore be used interchangeably; this is incorrect! The only thing these terms have in common is that they are both abbreviations for Latin words!
I.e.
I.e. is an abbreviation of the Latin expression id est, which translates to ‘that is’ or ‘in other words’ in English. This term is used to introduce or elaborate on a word or phrase that has already been stated.
It can also be used to define or explain a term or concept which readers may not know about.
I.e. is often set off by parentheses and followed by a comma or em dash. In less formal writing, a comma is placed before and after the term i.e. I.e. will always be in lowercase when they appear in the middle of a sentence (i.e., like this). Also, the term does not need to be italicised.
E.g.
E.g. is an abbreviation of the Latin expression exempli gratia, which translates to ‘for example’ in English. This term is used to introduce examples of something that has already been previously stated.
Similar to the way i.e. is punctuated, e.g. is often set of by parentheses and often followed by a comma. The term can also follow a comma or em dash.
Examples using i.e. and e.g.
Compare these examples:
- Tomorrow, I will go to buy my food at that new supermarket, i.e., Tesco.
- Tomorrow, I will go to buy my food at a supermarket, e.g., Tesco or Asda.
In the first example with the i.e., it is clear that Tesco is the exact supermarket that you will buy food from. In the second example, you will buy food at a supermarket, which could be from Tesco, Asda, or any other supermarket.
Tricks To Remember Which One To Use:
One easy way of remembering which abbreviation to use is by employing a mnemonic.
Remember that i.e. can be interchanged with ‘in other words’. The beginning letter of i.e. and ‘in other words’ is ‘i’. This indicates that the sentence that follows on will rephrase or explain precisely the first part of the sentence.
For e.g., remember that e.g. can be interchanged with ‘for example’. E.g. and ‘example’ both begin with the letter ‘e’.
Recap
I.e. is used to clarify something by providing precise information. E.g. is used to introduce one or more possible examples. If you can substitute ‘in other words’ for i.e., and ‘for example’ for e.g., then you are likely using the right term.
