e.g. vs. i.e.

by AnnaLisa Michalski

originally published in the ezine-turned-blog Word-wise, Jluly 19, 2009

These commonly confused abbreviations do have a lot in common. Both stand for Latin phrases. Both are used to introduce parenthetical or nonessential material. And both are convenient because, with just four characters, they offer a shorthand that almost anyone can understand without requiring a lot of space or keyboard time. But they are not interchangeable.

e.g. = "exempli gratia," translated as "for example"
i.e. = "id est," translated as "that is"

Thus, whatever follows e.g. should be illustrative of a concept, whereas whatever follows i.e. should be a rephrasing of or synonym for whatever comes right before it.

Household furniture, e.g. tables and sofas, must not be placed in general waste disposal bins.
vs.
The member acting as executive, i.e. having the power of final decision, will be named at the next meeting.

An error in this usage will often go unnoticed and uncorrected. But for those who value precision, it's worth knowing the difference.

Test your understanding by completing each sentence below with e.g. or i.e.

The underlying story is that James was let go (___, fired) for failure to comply with the company's no-moonlighting policy.
The EAS is used before and in the wake of natural disasters and mass emergencies (___, hurricanes or terrorist strikes).
Never was the corporation (___, American Doohickies Unlimited) more successful than when it began offering low-priced customizing features (___, personalized carrying cases or logo imprints) on small shipments.

Answers: 1) i.e.; 2) e.g.; 3) i.e., e.g.