NewStats: 3,261,838 , 8,175,327 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 06:18 PM 3x314x

Among all word pairs with confusing meanings and uses, i.e. and e.g. occupy a peculiar position. They are identical especially because they are two-letter abbreviations. They are, however, not to be used interchangeably because their meanings are different.

To start with, i.e. is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase ‘id est’, which means ‘that is’ or ‘in other words.’ On the other hand, e.g., also a Latin expression, refers to ’exempli gratia’, meaning, ‘for example’. With i.e, we explain, restate or emphasise what has been said but, with e.g, we cite the examples of a particular element or occurrence. Consider the difference in the following examples:

I need a car, i.e. something good enough to regularly take me from Abuja to Kaduna.

Many politicians were present, e.g. Chief John Nnadi and Alhaji Dauda Gumsu.

In the above clauses, while i.e. gives further information about the desired car in the first sentence, e.g introduces examples of the politicians present, in the second..

Difference in scope

Another major difference between the two is that when you use i.e., you somehow re-present the entirety of the original/initial statement. The element that the i.e. introduces usually restates or reflects the whole of the first expression. When you use e.g., however, you normally only list parts of the examples. There will be others (examples) you cannot exhaustively capture at that moment:

Many social events hold in Lagos by the end of the year, i.e. October to December.

Lagos is the place to be for many dreamers, i.e. many folks desirous of socioeconomic breakthrough.

England played against several other countries during the competition, e.g. Slovakia and Netherlands.

Spain paraded many young players, e.g. Lamine and Williams.

Need for commas and parenthesis

To avoid structural confusion, you should use punctuation marks like commas, brackets and dashes to delineate i.e. and e.g.:

Many countries are participating in the Olympic Games, i.e. those that qualified from their different continents.

Many countries are participating in the Olympic Games, e.g. Nigeria, Ghana, and Spain.

Many countries are participating in the Olympic Games (i.e. those that qualified from their different countries) as the reported noted.

Many countries are participating in the Olympic Games (e.g. Nigeria, Ghana, and Spain) as the reporter noted.

Between ‘including’ and ‘e.g.’

The function of ‘including’ is similar to that of ‘e.g.’ in the sense that it also connotes ‘for example’. This, however, further suggests that it is a part of the things you have in mind that is involved when you use ‘including’. That is why some speakers/writer still labour to say ‘including, but not limited to’ when speaking or writing:

Many countries are participating in the Olympic Games (e.g. Nigeria, Ghana, and Spain) as the reporter noted.

Many countries are participating in the Olympic Games (including Nigeria, Ghana, and Spain) as the reported noted.

Dash vs i.e.

The dash can work with i.e. but it can also entirely replace it (i.e.). The reason is that the punctuation mark introduces additional information:

I need a good rest — i.e. after the competition.

I need a good rest — after the competition.

https://punchng.com/differences-between-i-e-and-e-g/

English lesson for early momo!

Abeg, impeccable English is not a sign of literacy!

Learn skills, work hard and be useful!

English is just our lingua franca!

Abeg!

Once we know how to use I.e and e.g hunger will be permanently eliminated

This is a meaningful thread to start the day with, though it would take more than four paragraphs to fix the decay in written English amongst Nigerians today.

I am even more concerned about the decline in individual intelligence amongst young people. Youth are afraid to examine evidence and analyse issues logically, instead, they outsource intelligence to ‘influencers’ , many of whom are school dropouts, jesters and people who cannot hold a conversation in real life.
I saw comments on Instablog 10 minutes after the news of Trump’s shooting was reported, and all the comments were “it’s a skit’’.
Until a few years ago, Nigerians were known to be the smartest people in the world, and that is why the smears of fraud, corruption, trafficking etc do not stick on us when we excel internationally. But if with the above, we now have a new generation of Nigerians with the collective intelligence of sea sponges, then we are in trouble.

No experience, no faith, no morals, no grammar, no brakes, no gear, no sense!



And In the latter times, some will refuse to endure sound doctrine.

This topic is recommendable, better than bad news this morning...

...
I hope nobody confuses the two.

The abbreviation “i.e.” stands for id est, which is Latin for “that is.” The abbreviation “e.g.” stands for the Latin phrase exempli gratia, meaning “for example.”

Primary school teaching, i.e. primary one English language

I be English Nazi.


Na for Westminster Abbey dem bam me.

obataokenwa:
Na this thing u waste this write up on? Haba. Nigeria dey daft like that

Are you talking about the same people who don’t know the difference between ‘their’ and ‘there’? Abeg, let him educate them.

Nice thread OP.
Av always been good at English so am familiar with their usage.
I it tho, av never thought about how and why they are used differently.
Only always known how to use them.
Thanks

Nice one, educative thread on a beautiful morning.

Atleast not a political thread filled with tribal bigots nor a crime thread for name checkers

The root meaning specifies this. I find it weird anyone would mistake both.

Both are abbreviated Latin words, with i.e. being id est (which means 'that is to say' or 'in other words') and e.g. being exempli gratia (which means 'for example' or 'for the sake of example')

A long talk isn't necessary to drive the points home.

I.e means "That is ..."

E.g means 'For example..."


The abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." come from Latin phrases:

- "i.e." stands for "id est," which means "that is" or "in other words."

- "e.g." stands for "exempli gratia," which means "for example" or "for the sake of example."

So, when you use "i.e.", you're clarifying or rephrasing something, whereas when you use "e.g.", you're providing an example or illustration.

Was anyone actually making this mistake?

Very informative 🙏

Why fuse Latin with English?

e.g simply means for example while i.e means: namely, that is to say, in order words etc

AntiChristian:
English lesson for early momo!

Abeg, impeccable English is not a sign of literacy!

So, what is it a sign of? Please, tell us more.

for those of us way never use i.e before

lets gather here


madam abeg give me Eba i.e yesterday or the day before yesterday own

Hmmm

Very nice exposure. Thanks for pushing this here.

I have never seen ability to speak English as a criteria to appear in Forbes list.

Besides English no be our indigenous language

If na by English, Pastor Chris Okotie would have become the president of Nigeria. So, oga OP, make you swerve!

Akwamkpuruamu:
I have never seen ability to speak English as a criteria to appear in Forbes list.

Besides English no be our indigenous language

Only three Nigerians are on Forbes list. And guess what? They're educated. Your delusions doesn't not outdo the truths.

Good

Brighter Grammar

Waiting for those that are always crying that NL no longer push educative thread to the FP, waiting for them to come comment here

AntiChristian:
English lesson for early momo!

Abeg, impeccable English is not a sign of literacy!

Dullard always refuse to learn, why?

Anything that is not related to money, lazy youths are not interested. Is this the wasted generation that wants to take over the leadership of this country? Never ever

Thanks

rexbuton:
This is a meaningful thread to start the day with, though it would take more than four paragraphs to fix the decay in written English amongst Nigerians today.

I am even more concerned about the decline in individual intelligence amongst young people. Youth are afraid to examine evidence and analyse issues logically, instead, they outsource intelligence to ‘influencers’ , many of whom are school dropouts, jesters and people who cannot hold a conversation in real life.
I saw comments on Instablog 10 minutes after the news of Trump’s shooting was reported, and all the comments were “it’s a skit’’.
Until a few years ago, Nigerians were known to be the smartest people in the world, and that is why the smears of fraud, corruption, trafficking etc do not stick on us when we excel internationally. But if with the above, we now have a new generation of Nigerians with the collective intelligence of sea sponges, then we are in trouble.

No experience, no faith, no morals, no grammar, no brakes, no gear, no sense!



And In the latter times, some will refuse to endure sound doctrine.

Good observation my man.
I have been thinking of what will become of Nigeria in about fifty years to come. We are fast losing standards. I was in a church programme yesterday, of course, a pentecostal church, I heard much of noise from the choir. People were jumping and dancing joyfully. It dawn on me, where were the parts rendered by our Orthodox churches? All gone!
In my school those days, if anyone made a grammatical mistake, we. Would echo, ' I dodge the bullet ' Today, I am struggling to correct my undergraduate children to write good English.
Our artisans have lost the standards the colonial masters left behind. Houses are collapsing everywhere. Good artisans are no longer available. Youths are not ready to learn anymore.
I even learned that mercenaries are helping undergraduates with their assignments and term papers and projects.

Whereas, good standards are the bedrock of the development of any nation, I think we are losing everything.