E.g. or i.e.: which is correct?
Correct
e.g. (for example) / i.e. (that is)
Avoid
i.e. (to introduce examples)
Avoid
e.g. (to restate or clarify)
Summary
Correct: e.g. (for example) / i.e. (that is) — Avoid: i.e. (to introduce examples) / e.g. (to restate or clarify). E.g. introduces one or more examples from a larger set; i.e. restates or clarifies what has just been said.
- Part of speech
- abbreviation
- Source
- Oxford
Why
Oxford: e.g. abbreviates Latin exempli gratia (for the sake of example) and introduces examples; i.e. abbreviates id est (that is) and restates or specifies. Both are written with two full stops and lower-case letters; American style usually adds a comma after each, British style usually does not.
Examples
- Bring a form of photo ID, e.g. a passport or driving licence.
- The deadline is the last working day of the month, i.e. Friday the 28th.
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- Merriam-Webster / Oxford
- Spelling authority
- Merriam-Webster · Oxford English Dictionary / Oxford spelling · SCOWL
- Commonly confused and non-standard forms
- 64
- Dictionary
- Hunspell en_US / en_GB / en_AU / en_CA · Dictionary license: MIT AND BSD (SCOWL combined licence)