i.e vs e.g? Beautiful Explanation by Oatmeal

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i.e

e.ge.g

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Hilarious 😀

Meaning of I.E.

The abbreviation i.e. is often used in written English in order to mean something like that isthat is to say, or in other words.

Coming from the Latin phrase id est, which literally means “it/that is,” it essentially provides an alternate way of saying something. Though this expression is mostly reserved for more formal, written language, it can also be used in spoken English.

In that case, you would pronounce the letters individually (“I-E”).

  • Everytime we think, we do it through language, that is to say, words.  Everytime we think, we do it through language, i.e., words.
  • If I bump into some desperate, sleazy guy (in other words, Alex), at the party, please save me.  If I bump into some desperate, sleazy guy (i.e., Alex) at the party, please save me.
  • This class is like any other one at my university. In other words, it’s very difficult.  This class is like any other one at my university, i.e., it’s very difficult.

 

As you can see from these examples above, the two terms that the abbreviation i.e. connects together are equivalent to each other. Sometimes, the equivalence can be straightforward, such as with language and words, while other times, i.e. can be used for a humorous effect.

In the second example, the speaker is worried about a possible encounter with a “desperate, sleazy guy,” but she uses the expression i.e. to indicate that she is actually thinking about a specific person, i.e., Alex.

 

I.e. is an abbreviation particularly common in academic writing. However, it’s not the only abbreviation used, and you’re probably familiar with a few others:

  • E.g. means for example. It comes from the Latin phrase exemplī grātiā, which means “for the sake of an example,” and is pronounced “E-G.”
    • Thousands of species around the world, for example, the red wolf and the West African lion, are critically endangered.  Thousands of species around the world, e.g., the red wolf and the West African lion, are critically endangered.
  • Etc. means and so on or and so forth. It comes from the Latin phrase et cetera and is pronounced “et SET-er-a.” It is often used at the end of a list in order to indicate more possible options.
    • There’s tons of stuff to do in the city: shopping, museums, restaurants, and so on.  There’s tons of stuff to do in the city: shopping, museums, restaurants, etc.

 

Note that these types of abbreviations, which are originally Latin expressions, are different from more casual abbreviations often found in texted English. These include hmuwtflol, etc. and are much more informal than the Latin-based abbreviations!

 

What’s the difference between i.e. and e.g.?

Many people get these two abbreviations confused. The easiest way to remember the difference is that i.e. indicates an equivalent expression, while e.g. indicates an example within a greater category. The following would be incorrect:

  • There are many subsets of anthropology, i.e., sociocultural anthropology. 

Here, sociocultural anthropology is only one specific kind of anthropology and therefore only one example. Therefore, it would be better to use e.g.

  • The job has flexible hours and pays well, e.g., it’s a good job. 

In this example, it’s very clear that we’re dealing with two statements that essentially mean the same thing. Therefore, we should use i.e. instead.

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