Do you find yourself confused about whether to use i.e. or e.g. in a sentence? Just me?
Well, if you've ever had a question about which one is right (or what the difference is), I hope this post will clear up any confusion. Below are a few easy tips that help me.
- i.e.: Use this in place of the phrase "in other words." For example, this sentence would be correct: I had a really bad day at work, i.e., all hell broke loose when I walked in the door.
- e.g.: Use this when you're listing a bunch of examples. Here's a sentence that uses e.g. the right way: I love romantic comedies, e.g., The Proposal, Kate and Leopold and While You Were Sleeping.
Pretty simple! The easiest way I remember it is thinking "i" = "in other words" and "e" = "examples."
But if you're still confused (and even if you're not), check out this hilarious explanation from The Oatmeal. I promise that it'll clear things up — and it'll make you laugh.
Do these phrases ever trip you up? I find that I usually want to use i.e. and rarely use e.g. in sentences.
Haha, that thing from the Oatmeal is funny. I actually never knew this one...I just never use either!
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said on my blog btw. If I'm going 100% everyday then it isn't a big deal when I get dressed up for a special occasion. For example, the girl I talked about in my post looked pretty on her wedding day, but it wasn't WOW.
the english language is just so dang weird haha!
ReplyDeleteI've definitely felt some confusion over this!
ReplyDeleteI have a writing question for you: is there a reason people often give their email address like this: myname [at] gmail [dot] com instead of like this: myname@gmail.com. Is it just a cool thing to do, or is there a purpose behind it? Thanks!!