Although i.e. and e.g. are fairly ubiquitous little linguistic gadgets, both non-fluent and native English writers can find themselves mixing them up occasionally.
If you see that a client has definitely mixed up i.e. and e.g., you should correct the issue in the text. You do not need to leave a comment unless you are not sure (from the context) whether the term has been used incorrectly.
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The term “i.e.” means “that is.” It is used to introduce supporting information about or a definition of a point that has just been made. For example:
The term “e.g.” means “for example.” It is used to offer some select examples supporting a point that has just been made.
Unlike those given by i.e., the examples following e.g. should not cover every eventuality or option. For example:
There are a few other things you should be aware of when using i.e. and e.g.
US English includes a comma after i.e. and e.g., UK and Australian English do not usually do so.
You should not include “etc.” at the end of a list preceded by e.g. or i.e.
This is because, by using e.g., you’re saying you’re only offering select examples (so it stands to reason that there are more). By using i.e., you’re saying that you’ve listed all possible examples (so there shouldn’t be any more).
In recent years, especially in online content, the terms i.e. and e.g. are falling into disuse. This is due to various accessibility issues (e.g., screen readers read them incorrectly).
Potential alternatives to i.e.: that is, in other words, consisting of.
Potential alternatives to e.g.: for example, including, such as.
The vast majority of dictionaries and style guides punctuate i.e. and e.g. with periods.
A notable exception to this is the legal referencing system OSCOLA: due to its hatred of unnecessary punctuation, it writes them as ie and eg.
To summarize: i.e. is used when you want to define or list all options for something, e.g. is used when you want to give some select examples.
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