E.g. and I.e.: are they the same?

E.g. and i.e.:  are they the same?

Both i.e., and e.g., are commonly used interchangeably as people think that they share the same meaning. They do not mean the same. I.e. is an abbreviation that stands for id est in Latin, which means “that is” or “in other words”. E.g., is an abbreviation that in Latin stands for exempli gratia, which means “for example”.

What is the difference?

Use “e.g.” to introduce an example. For example, the students really enjoy their business courses, e.g., accounting and finance.

Use “i.e.” to introduce further clarification. In this example, the students like some of their business courses, i.e. accounting and finance.

In the aforementioned examples, it may seem as if nothing really changed except for the use of i.e. in the second example. However, if you read more carefully, you will notice the message conveyed between those two examples changed.

In the first example, e.g., is used to give examples of business classes that students like. In the second example, the use of i.e. is used to clarify further that accounting and finance are the two business courses that the students like.

A few simple rules to using the abbreviations:

1.      There is no need to italicize them, as they have become Standard English language usage.

2.       Most writing guidelines such as Chicago Style manual recommend using a comma after i.e., and e.g.

3.       Since they are abbreviations for words, you can use them in sentences that you would normally use the words “that is….” or “for example”.  In other words, there are no specifications as to when to use or not use them.

4.       There is no rule that says that you must use abbreviations. You can always write the words out- “for example” or “in other words”, which would actually be more appropriate for formal or professional writing.