Abbreviations are SO handy. They save us SO much time! For example, I love the abbreviations
e.g. and i.e.. JUST THINK of all the paper I’ve saved over the years, thanks to these
two. But they aren’t much help if you get them confused. Don’t do that.
e.g. is another way to say “For example.” It comes from the Latin phrase “exempli
gratia.” Keep in mind, we never actually SAY e.g. out loud - it’s meant to be used
in writing. If you’re talking, just say, “for example,” but if you’re writing,
you can use the abbreviation e.g.. This is how we write it: lowercase e, period, lowercase
g, period. No spaces. Notice that while the Latin phrase is written in italics, the abbreviation
e.g. is not.
Let’s see e.g. in action: “American pizza parlors offer many toppings,
e.g. pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, olives, and anchovies.”
“There were many unforeseen consequences of Prohibition (e.g. increased organized crime,
increased police corruption, and increased alcohol abuse).”
Notice that there is usually either a comma before e.g. or the whole list is set aside
in parentheses. Furthermore, some writers choose to put in a comma after the e.g.. That’s
more common in American English writing than British English. All these formats are correct
- it’s really your choice as a writer about how much of a pause do you want the reader
to hear.
Now remember, in these examples, I’m saying e.g. out loud, which you don’t actually
do in real life. Use it in your writing, but if you are speaking out loud, say “for example,”
instead. That actually suggests a good trick to make
sure you are using e.g. correctly. Try substituting in the words “for example,” and see if
the sentence still makes sense. “American pizza parlors offer many toppings, for example,
pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, and anchovies. I see no problems with that sentence. We’re
giving some examples, but not a complete list. e.g. is perfect for that.
Now what about my other favourite little abbreviation - i.e.? It’s another one you ONLY use when
you’re writing. It comes from the Latin phrase “id est,” which means, “that
is.” And like e.g., notice that you write i.e. in regular lowercase letters, not in
italics. Lowercase i, period, lowercase e, period.
You use i.e. to clarify a statement in your writing. It introduces explanatory information,
or lets you say something another way. Let me give you some examples:
“My friend Don is a vegan; i.e. he doesn’t eat any animal products.”
“I’m a real night owl - i.e. I am up most nights until 2 AM.”
Again, I’m only saying i.e. out loud to give you these examples. We don’t use i.e.
in normal speech. Instead, we use a phrase like “that is,” or “in other words”
in place of i.e. And again, this is a good way to check to make sure you are using i.e.
correctly in your writing. Let’s try that substitution in our sentences and see if they
hold up to scrutiny:
“My friend Don is a vegan; that is, he doesn’t eat any animal products.” That’s a good
sentence. “I’m a real night owl - that is to say,
I’m up most nights until 2AM. - Again, this sentence makes sense, even with the substitution,
so we can feel confident we used the right abbreviation.
If you’re unsure about whether to use i.e. or e.g., just use our substitution trick.
Do you want to say “for example?” In that case, use e.g. If you find the Latin phrase
exempli gratia too hard to remember, try “examples given.” If your sentence instead needs to
include an explanatory phrase, or to restate an idea more clearly, then you should use
i.e. If you have trouble with the Latin phrase id est, think, “in essence” or “in effect.”
Now that we know more about i.e. and e.g., you may wonder why are these two abbreviations
so commonly confused? I think it’s because they’re both so little. That’s so unfair!
Let’s give our little friends the recognition they so richly deserve.
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