How to Use “e.g.” and “i.e.”
These two come from Latin and they
are quite common in English writing. Here is a short explanation on what they
mean and how to use them properly:
e.g.
It stands for the Latin phrase
“exempli gratia”, which means “for example.”
Example: Big cities, e.g. New York, London and
Tokyo offer more exciting activities.
Example: You should hang out more with people in your
own age, e.g. Tom, Kate and James.
i.e.
It stands for the Latin phrase
“id est”, which means “that is.” You use this
“i.e.” when you want to explain exactly what something means.
Example: He is rather confused, i.e. he is not sure what to do.
Example: We are going on a short vacation, i.e.
3-4 days.
Example: Is moving to the north, i.e. Canada.
So the difference is that with “e.g.” you are just
giving an example, but with “i.e.” you are explaining exactly what
you meant to say.
