When to use "i.e." and "e.g."

Answer 1

A fun way to remember how to use the Latin abbreviations i.e. (id est) and e.g. (exempli gratia) is to look at the letters of each abbreviation. The i.e. translates to "in other words" and the e.g. translates to "for example". Some examples of this are:

In the spring, I’ll buy flowers at a garden center, i.e., Garden Land. ("in other words")

In the spring, I’ll buy flowers at a garden center e.g., Garden Land or Lowes. ("for example")

In the first example, you are clarifying that Garden Land is the exact garden center that you will visit. In the second example, you list other places that you might buy flowers, such as Garden Land, Lowes or other retailers that sell what you need. Remember i.e.'s do not list things, but e.g.'s do. If you need any other questions answered I'd love to help.