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i.e.
and e.g. What's the difference?
When
do you use i.e., and when do you use e.g., and what do they mean?
The
Latin abbreviations “i.e.” and “e.g.” come up
very frequently in writing and would probably come up more often if
people were more sure of when it is right to use “i.e.” and
when “e.g.” is required. To me, the only way to figure it
out is to know what they stand for. After reading this, you’ll
agree with me that both are misused more often than not and
you’ll forever check every one of them to see if the author used
them correctly.
i.e.
“I.e.”
stands simply for “that is,” which written out fully in
Latin is ‘id est’. “I.e.” is used in place of
“in other words,” or “it/that is.” It specifies
or makes more clear.
e.g.
“E.g.”
means “for example” and comes from the Latin expression
exempli gratia, “for the sake of an example,” with the noun
exemplum in the genitive (possessive case) to go with gratia in the
ablative (prepositional case). “E.g.” is used in
expressions similar to “including,” when you are not
intending to list everything that is being discussed.
Examples
of i.e. and e.g.:
I.E.
Id Est
I’m
going to the place where I work best, i.e., the coffee shop. [There
is only one place that I am claiming is best for my work. By using
“i.e.”, I am telling you I am about to specify it.]
E.G.
Exempli Gratia
At
the places where I work best, e.g., Starbucks, I have none of the
distractions I have at home. [There are a lot of coffee shops I like,
but Starbucks is the only international one, so it’s the only
“example” that would work.]
Italics
I.e.
and e.g. are such common Latin abbreviations that they do not
require italicization.
Capitalization
If
the form “I.e.” looks odd, it’s because both
“i.e.” and “e.g.” are usually found mid-sentence,
surrounded by commas, so they are unlikely to be seen with sentence
initial capitals. If they were to be used at the beginning of a
sentence, then, like any sentence, the first letter would be capitalized.
Adapted
from N.S. Gill at www.About.com
and other on-line reference guides.
--www.ancienthistory.about.com/od/abbreviations/f/ievseg.htm
--www.suite101.com/article.cfm/8707/52862
Disclaimer: Not
responsible for advice, ideas, suggestions and/or
programs. By
mentioning these programs or any other program, I’m in no way
endorsing these or any other programs for you and/or your project.
Any advice, ideas or suggestions and/or programs mentioned are
considered my opinion only and am considered not liable. Not
responsible for sales or lack of sales of your project.
Brian@SunriseBooks.com
SunrisePublishing@gmail.com |
