In written English articles, books, internet posts, etc. you will quite often see two abbreviations,
E.G. and I.E.
The meanings and use of these initialisms are often confused by native and non-native speakers alike.
What does it mean when these initials are used?
Both E.G. and I.E. are abbreviations of Latin terms borrowed into English without being
changed.
E.G. stands for exempli gratia.
I.E. stands for id est. We normally just say e g and i e.
Meaning of E.G. in English:
E.G. or exemplis gratia means 'for the sake of example.' We can think of it as meaning
simply 'for example.'
We use e.g. to introduce one or more examples.
By using e.g. we are making it clear that we are only naming a few possible examples
among many or at least several.
For example: "Many sports related idioms in English, e.g. on the ball and right off the
bat, have to do with baseball."
Meaning of I.E. in English:
I.E. is often used when e.g. would be appropriate but it is not about examples.
I.E. or id est means in English 'that is to say.'
That is to say means something like 'in other words.' When we say this in English, we wish
to clarify what was just said in order to be more clear.
For example: "Idioms, i.e., metaphorical and figurative expressions, are abundant in all
languages and understanding them is essential to comprehension."
What you may notice is that their purpose is almost opposite. E.g. stands to open up
more options while i.e. narrows things down to one.
How to use E.G. and I.E. in Writing:
It is always recommended to use periods in these abbreviations. As well, pretty much
all English writing style guides recommend inserting a comma after the abbreviation and
before the additional text.
If you feel the need, you can set off this part of the sentence in parenthesis.
Here is an example using parenthesis:
"Any form of exercise (e.g., walking, jogging, riding a bike) is helpful and beneficial to
your health."
Note that unless you are writing something formal you do not always need to use these
abbreviations.
It is always perfectly fine to write out 'for example' or 'that is.'
Examples of How to Use E.G. and I.E. in Sentences
Please note that the examples used here are chosen for ease of understanding. They are
not necessarily the type of formal writing in which we usually use these initialisms.
"I found a show I want to watch on Netflix, i.e., Dark, but I'll have to wait until the
weekend so I can binge it.
"I found some shows I'd like to watch on Netflix, e.g., Dark, Stranger Things, and Lost in Space,
but I'll have to wait until the weekend so I can binge them."
"I only really enjoy watching one sport in the Summer Olympics, i.e. gymnastics."
"I enjoy watching the Summer Olympics, i.e. gymnastics, track and field, swimming, but
I don't really watch the Winter Olympics."
Here are some sentences to test yourself on the proper use of e.g. versus i.e. Are these
sentences correct or incorrect?
Sentence 1. "During the pandemic, avoid exercising in confined spaces with other people (e.g.,
indoors)."
Sentence no. 2. "I am not a fan of fast food, e.g., McDonalds and Wendy's, and I prefer
to cook my own meals."
Sentence no. 3. "I like a pizza with all meat toppings, i.e. pepperoni."
No. 4. "Hawaiian pizza, i.e. pineapples and ham, is not my favorite by a long shot."
Sentence one is incorrect, it should be i.e. Sentence two is correct, e.g. is used appropriately.
Sentence three is incorrect. Sentence four is correct. Let me know how you did in the
comments below!