They may be small, but their power to
befuddle writers and speakers of the English
language is mighty: what's the difference
between i.e. and e.g. ? And what are the
correct uses of these commonly confused
abbreviations?

The term i.e. is a shortening of the Latin
expression id est, which translates to "that is."
It is used to introduce a rephrasing or
elaboration on something that has already
been stated: "I like citrus fruits, i.e., the
juicy, edible fruits with leathery, aromatic
rinds of any of numerous tropical, usually
thorny shrubs or trees of the genus Citrus." In
this example, i.e. introduces an elaboration on
citrus fruits.
The term e.g. is an abbreviation of the Latin
expression exempli gratia, meaning "for the
sake of example" or more colloquially, "for
example." It follows that this term is used to
introduce examples of something that has
already been stated: "I like citrus fruits, e.g.,
oranges, lemons, and limes."

One easy way to remember the difference
between these two is by employing a simple
mnemonic device: think of the i at the
beginning of i.e . as standing for the first word
in the phrase "in other words," indicating
that the clause that follows will rephrase or
explain what precedes the term. E.g. is a
little more straightforward since e stands for
exempli meaning "example." To ensure your
mastery over these terms is not tarnished by
misplaced punctuation, remember that in
formal writing, e.g. and i.e. are often set off
in parentheses and followed by a comma; in
less formal writing, it is standard to