This is a very typical question and one of the most commonly used abbreviated latin forms that is almost always used incorrectly.

I.E. Stands For…

Id Est which means that is. You typically use this to help explain a point you’ve made, to clarify something, and/or to provide some context.

Example:

• “That great American holiday, i.e., Thanksgiving, is almost upon us.
• Enjoy your roast turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and homemade gravy on November 23rd, i.e., Thanksgiving.”

E.G Stands For…

Exempli gratia which means for example. You use this to provide examples of what you just said or mean. You can typically remember this by the phrase example given.

Example:

• “We’ll be happy to have you join us for a Thanksgiving feast, e.g., turkey, cranberry sauce, wilted spinach salad.”
• “The family has lots of activities planned for after the meal, e.g., touch football, television viewing, and power napping. These are always popular activities for a Thanksgiving night at the Smith residence.”

Things to Note…

• Use a period after each letter. They are abbreviations.
• Either abbreviation can be used to begin a sentence; remember to follow with a comma.
• Either abbreviation can be used in a parenthetical statement; again, remember to follow with a comma.
• If using within the sentence, and not at the beginning or in parentheses, always precede and follow with a comma.

The End… i.e., This blog post is finished… e.g., I’m done writing.

[Picture from saM]