Writing tip 5: When should I use 'eg', and 'ie'?

For those of you who prefer a plain English style, the answer is 'never'! However, if you do use these Latin abbreviations, you need to know how to use them correctly.

'eg' is short for exempli gratia, and means 'for example' (remember the 'e'). 

'ie' is short for id est, and means 'that is' (remember the 'i').

Use 'eg' when you want to give an example (or several examples) of something just mentioned. Use 'ie' when you want to explain briefly, clarify what you just said, or say the same thing using different words.

Now you'll see why the following sentence begins incorrectly:

Any document, ie, a proposal...

The writer meant to say, 'Any document, for example, a proposal ...', but actually says, 'Any document, that is, a proposal...'. This is wrong, because although a proposal is a document there are many documents other than proposals.

The last word goes to one passionate Internet wordsmith who wrote 'Anyone who uses one of these abbreviations when they mean the other may be considered basically uneducated and a danger to themselves and to society at large' (Serendipity: Common Errors).

Of course, we at Write wouldn't go quite that far!

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