A friend of mine was telling me the correct usage of this earlier, and I was surprised to know that I've been using this incorrectly for quite some time! I tend to use these interchangeably, but that is wrong. ''i.e.'' = that is or in other words ''e.g.'' = for example If you've made the same mistake, you're not alone. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I never use "e.g." but I can see how you could use "i.e." for both in some cases and still be correct. Sometimes you use it for "in other words" and sometimes you use it when you use an example for other words.
Well actually, ''i.e.'' is supposed to be used when rephrasing a particular statement in order to make it clearer, and ''e.g.'' is to be used for listing examples. ''i.e.'' really shouldn't be used when listing examples of something, if we want to be precise about it. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
The mnemonic I always used (which I made up myself and so may not make much sense to others) is to think of i.e. as "in effect" and then e.g. is an eggsample... I know, but it works for me Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I must say I had always considered these abbreviations mutually exclusive. I do not see how an example of something can also be something just restated in different words. So I'm with wegs on this. Incidentally, as no one seems to mentioned it so far "i.e." is from the Latin "id est", which means "that is", while e.g. comes from "exempli gratia", which is a bit more complicated to understand in translation but means something like "for the sake of example".
Another example of a word for rock, i.e. stone is stone. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Haha...I'm just kidding. Wegs is correct and I'm just trying to find my wiggle room. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Between a rock and a hard place, you are. Or a stone. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! lol
I see that none of you scholars bothered to find out what words "e.g." and "i.e." are abbreviations for! I.e. is the Latin abbreviation for id est, which is a similar phrase to English "that is." E.g., on the other hand, is the Latin abbreviation for exempli gratia, which means, more or less, "here's an example."
I see you did not bother to read the thread before responding, arf, arf. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Many years ago a teacher told us that e.g. does NOT mean "example given" - but it is a good way to remember what it means.
along a similar line of confusion, know when to use "etc." or "et al." etc. is abbreviated latin for et cetera, meaning and other things. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Et_cetera) et al. is abbreviated latin for et alia, meaning and other people. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/et alia)
i.a is inter alia (among other things) a.a is just "arf ,arf" Your Latin is actually wrong but that would be tmi Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!