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Writing
Tip of the Month
November
2018
Using
e.g. and i.e.
Deciding
whether to use e.g.
or i.e.
can create issues for some writers. How do you know which of these
Latin abbreviations to use?
The abbreviation e.g.
is short for exempli
grati and means “for example” and is used to introduce
examples. The term i.e.
is an abbreviated form of id
est and means “that is.” It is used to clarify a
statement. Here are some examples of these uses:
- Our
Thanksgiving feast was a smorgasbord of family favorites (e.g.,
broccoli casserole, fresh cranberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole).
- Katelyn
is well skilled at a number of sports, e.g., tennis, basketball, and
golf.
- When
Tom makes important presentations he likes to wear his good luck charm
(i.e., a royal blue tie with gold stars).
- We
tried to warn Donald about the repercussions of his ongoing
misstatements, i.e. he could be fired.
Note that most style guides recommend using a comma after e.g. and i.e.
Also, e.g.
and the list of items that follow it and i.e. and the
clarification after it can be included within parentheses, as in
sentences 1 and 3, or can follow a comma, as in sentences 2 and 4.
Other
options
Using these Latin abbreviations is not the only way to include examples
or to clarify a statement:
- Our
Thanksgiving feast was a smorgasbord of family favorites, including
broccoli casserole, fresh cranberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole.
- Katelyn
is well skilled at a number of sports: tennis, basketball, golf, and
more.
- When
Tom makes important presentations he likes to wear his good luck charm,
a royal blue tie with gold stars.
- We
tried to warn Donald about the repercussions of his ongoing
misstatements: he could be fired.
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The Write Connection, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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