“The senior engineers, i.e. Priya and Marcus, approved it.”
‘I.e.’ means ‘that is’ — the full list. If the team has more senior engineers, you’re only naming examples, not defining the group.
Confusables Entry 08 / 1350 60-second read Common
I.e. vs. E.g.
That is to say versus for example — one clarifies, the other illustrates.
The comparisoni
“The senior engineers, e.g. Priya and Marcus, approved it.”
‘E.g.’ means ‘for example’ — a sample, not the whole set. Use it when more could be named.
More examplesii
01
Use a strong verb, e.g. the present-tense ‘ship.’
Use a strong verb, i.e. the present-tense ‘ship.’
Only one verb is meant — it’s being defined, not sampled. Use ‘i.e.’
02
Bring a rain layer, i.e. a shell or a light jacket.
Bring a rain layer, e.g. a shell or a light jacket.
A shell and a light jacket are two of many options — that’s examples, not a definition.
The ruleiii
¶
I.E. restates. E.G. illustrates.
I.E. (id est, ‘that is’) rephrases or defines — a complete equivalence. E.G. (exempli gratia, ‘for example’) introduces one or more cases out of many. If you could add ‘and others,’ you want E.G.
Notesiv
Origin
Both are from Latin. I.e. = *id est*, ‘that is.’ E.g. = *exempli gratia*, ‘for the sake of an example.’ Standard in English academic and legal writing since the 16th century — the abbreviations are older than most English dictionaries.
Regional
US style (Chicago, APA, AP) uses periods and a comma after: ‘i.e.,’ and ‘e.g.,’. British style (Oxford, Guardian) often drops the comma and sometimes the periods: ‘ie’ and ‘eg.’ Indian English follows the British convention in most newspapers.
Register
Both are Latin abbreviations, so they read as formal. In careful prose both are followed by a comma in American style; British style often drops it. Spell them out (‘that is,’ ‘for example’) when the sentence is already long.
Watch for
Never stack them with ‘etc.’ — ‘e.g. apples, oranges, etc.’ is redundant because e.g. already implies more examples exist. Pick one or the other.
Memory aidv
Remember it like this
Say it in English in your head: ‘that is’ (i.e.) or ‘example given’ (e.g.). E.g. starts with E — for Example.
In the wildvi
Real-world-style usage — how this looks in a sentence people would actually write.
- The report names three candidates (i.e. Priya, Marcus, and Ade) and hints at several backups (e.g. the two contractors who shipped on time last quarter).
- Any hot beverage — e.g. tea, coffee, cocoa — works. The default, i.e. the one on the counter right now, is espresso.
Spottedvii
Specimens from the editorial inbox — lines that did, in fact, get published.
“Bring a hot drink, i.e. coffee or tea.”
— A meetup invite in a tech Slack, 2022 — wanted ‘e.g.’ (examples), not ‘i.e.’ (the full definition)
“Only one team, e.g. the finalist, advances.”
— A competition rulebook, 2021 — meant ‘i.e.’ (a rename), not ‘e.g.’ (one example among many)
Test yourselfviii
Which is right?
Quick duel 4 questions · ~30 seconds
Which is right?