FYI: i.e. and e.g. – aka "id est" and "exempli gratia"

The abbreviations i.e. and e.g. are not interchangeable – i.e. (id est) means “that is” or “in other words” and e.g. (exempli gratia) means “for example.” Both i.e. and e.g. must have commas after them as well as before them, unless they’re preceded by a dash or a parenthesis. Vladimir likes pasta (e.g., cresti di gallo, orecchiette, vermicelli). Estragon likes pasta (i.e., thin pieces of hardened, unleavened dough that are molded into various shapes).

Note: According to AP, the abbreviation aka – "also known as" and, in this case, not to be confused with above-knee amputation, Alpha Kappa Alpha, the American Kitefliers Association, or the American Kennel Association – is formatted just like that (lowercase, no periods; “no spacing is an exception to Webster's,” it notes).

Comments

[Glenn (Customer Service Experience) Ross]

Thanks for a very succint explanation. I ran into this very issue last week when editing a guest post. The author had meant "e.g." when she used "i.e." I thought she was in error but when I went to consult my faithful Strunk & White, I found I had misplaced it. (Horrors!) I evidentially found the answer in "Guide To Effective Military Writing." No, really:-) Your explanation was shorter and better.

Regards,

Glenn

[Dan Santow]

Thanks, Glenn. In the past I would consult Strunk & White about things, too, but to be honest, I never actually found it useful so I've pretty much let it sit on my shelf and gather dust.

[Sarah McEvoy]

This refresher literally came at the perfect moment. I was finalizing a proposal for a client and was wondering about correct punctuation after i.e. and e.g. (I am horrified to admit that I had not considered the punctuation that comes before.) I had included both commas and colons after each and was in the process of choosing which one to go with for consistency when your email came through. It was a eureka grammar moment!

I look forward to Word Wise every week. Thanks to your tips, we are all better writers.

[Jeffrey]

Dan - The handy way I always remembered these (something I made up in school to help myself to remember):

i.e., = I’ll Explain (the pasta is made from dough, kneaded, put through a machine, boiled, etc.). I'll explain the process, content or example.

e.g., = Examples Given (elbow, spiral, angel hair, etc.) A list of examples of what I'm talking about are given.

Hope that helps someone else, too.