Make Your Editor Cry: (LATIN) e.g. and i.e.
The Latin terms e.g., and i.e., are not interchangeable.
The term “i.e.” is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase “id est,” meaning “in essence,” or sometimes “that is,” or “in other words” The term “e.g.” is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase “exempli gratia,” meaning “example given” or “for example.” The former is used to clarify or simplify a point while the latter provides an example of the point in use.
It is preferable to use words such as “like, such as, in essence, that is, in other words, in summary” in place of i.e. and “for example” instead of e.g. whenever possible. When they are part of dialogue, note that in US English since both are abbreviations, they must be followed by a comma should they fall inside a sentence, even if your word processor protests. They need not be parenthetical in use but should be offset by use of a colon or semi-colon.
Examples:
Our pet, Taz (i.e., the mouse we brought home after the lab experiments ended), loves to curl up on his little patch of grass.
Our pet mouse, Taz, loves vegetation (e.g., grass, leaves, and twigs).
Try using easy-to-read fonts; e.g., Roman or Arial.
The standard discount applies; i.e., 10% for seniors an 5% for card holders.
Gregg Bridgeman is the Editor-in-Chief at Olivia Kimbrell Press. He is husband to best-selling Christian author Hallee Bridgeman and parent to three. He continues to proudly serve in the US Armed Forces and has done so in either an active or reserve capacity for more than twenty years as an airborne and air assault qualified paratrooper, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Most importantly, he was ordained in October of 2001 after surrendering his life to Christ decades earlier.