When to use “i.e.” and “e.g.”

Do you know there is a difference of usage between “i.e.” and “e.g.”? Years ago I picked up this tip for remembering their correct usage. I think of it every time I start to write a sentence that requires one of them.

First, some foreign language lessons.

• i.e. stands for id est, which is Latin for “that is”

• e.g. stands for exempli gratia, which is Latin for “for example”

If you can remember the difference by their Latin meaning, great! But I need a little more help than that.

To quickly remember the difference, I look at the first letter of each and think “in other words” and “example.”

A funny way to remember that e.g. stands for example is to think of eggs — for eggs-ample. (I wish I could remember where I got this specific tip. I think it was Grammar Girl.)

Here they are in sentences:

• I am getting tired of getting blamed for things because I’m a millennial (i.e., from the generation of those born from 1981 to 1996), because some of the blame should go on the parents that raised us, don’t you think?

• It’s advisable to educate yourself and your children on the top poisonous plants in this area (e.g., poison ivy, poison sumac, wild parsnips) before you go hiking this summer.

Did you say “in other words” and “eggs-ample” in your head when you read those sentences?

Two bonus tips:

• These abbreviations should only be used in parenthetical statements (i.e., 😉 statements in parentheses).

• A comma is always placed after the abbreviation in the parenthetical statement.