I.e. or e.g.?
Many scholars, especially those trained in the hard sciences, rely heavily on the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. Despite their popularity, the two are often confused.
E.G.
In Latin, e.g. is an abbreviation for exempli gratia. This phrase translates into English as “for example” and is typically followed by a list.
Below, an author uses it to introduce a string of references:
A great deal of work has been done to model the spread of tick-borne diseases (e.g., [15,] [18], and [22]).
Here Author could have replaced “e.g.” with “see, for example,…” a sign that the abbreviation is used correctdly.
Because i.e. means “that is,” it is in effect the basis for an independent clause: the pronoun that (id) is the subject of the verb is (est). So, if you run it into a sentence (rather than putting it inside parentheses, like this), then it takes a semicolon:
This result suggests a strongly iteroparous life cycle; i.e., a high probability of survival.
Using a comma in the same spot results in a comma splice:
This result suggests a strongly iteroparous life cycle, i.e., a high probablity of survival.
In the immortal words of Miss Thistlebottom: tsk, tsk, tsk!
Either abbreviation, i.e. or e.g., is always followed by a comma.
by T.M.
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