How to use for example in a sentence

There are a few Latin terms that are still commonly used in English scholarly writing, including the abbreviations ‘e.g.’ and ‘i.e.’ Sometimes writers use these abbreviations interchangeably, but these terms mean different things, and it is important to use the correct abbreviation to ensure that the meaning of a sentence is retained. Both of these abbreviations are commonly used at the beginning of nonrestrictive elements that are enclosed in either commas or parentheses. Most style guides suggest the use of a comma after both e.g. and i.e.

E.g. Meaning (exempli gratia)

e.g. is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia, meaning “for example.” This abbreviation is typically used to introduce one or more examples of something mentioned previously in the sentence and can be used interchangeably with “for example” or “such as.” The use of e.g. implies that there are other examples not mentioned in the list. Here are some examples of how to use e.g. in a sentence:

• “The Summer Olympics is composed of a variety of sports (e.g., gymnastics, swimming, and tennis).”
• “Many genes are involved in neural tube development, e.g., Sonic Hedgehog, BMPs, and the Hox genes.”
• Note: because e.g. implies that other examples are being omitted, do not use etc. in the same list.

I.e. Meaning (id est)

i.e. is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase id est, meaning “that is.” This abbreviation is used when you want to specify something mentioned previously; it can be used interchangeably with “specifically” or “namely.” Here are some examples of how to use i.e. in a sentence:

• “Only one city, i.e., London, has hosted the Summer Olympics three times.”
• “Every genetics student learns the two basic methodologies in the field, i.e., forward genetics and reverse genetics.”

Easy Ways to Remember the Difference

A helpful way to remember which abbreviation to use is by looking at the first letter in each acronym and using mnemonic devices. If you’re confused about which abbreviation to use, associate the ‘i’ in i.e. with “in other words.” For e.g., think of the ‘e’ as standing for “example” instead of the less common term “exempli.”

I.e. and E.g. Punctuation and Formatting

• Parenthesis are not completely necessary, but they help the reader follow and understand the use of the abbreviation.
• Always use periods after each letter in both acronyms.
• A comma should be used after the acronym like the following:
  • i.e.,
  • e.g.,
• Don’t use italics.
• Use lowercase letters when using i.e. or e.g. in a sentence. The only exceptions to this is when:
  • The abbreviation starts a sentence
  • The abbreviation is in the title

We hope that this clears up some confusion about these terms. Please email us with any questions. Best of luck with your writing!

We see them often in text, usually in parentheses, and we can usually figure out the context from the text before them, but what do those letters mean? The abbreviation “e.g.” stands for the Latin exempli gratia, which means “for example” or “for the sake of example.” The abbreviation “i.e.” stands for the Latin phrase id est, which means “that is to say” or “in other words.” When writing, we often use these terms like examples (e.g.) to emphasize a point or use (i.e.) to state the point in a different way without a long explanation.

Some confuse the two terms and use them incorrectly. The following will provide you with some helpful hints and examples.

E.g. vs. i.e.–What’s the Difference?

As stated above, e.g. is short for “for example.” The easiest way to remember this one is that it starts with an “e” and so does “example.” Here’s how to use for example (e.g.) in a sentence:

“There are many types of trees (e.g., spruce, oak, maple) in the study area.”

“There were several breeds of horse (e.g., Thoroughbreds, Appaloosas, Paints) at the barn where we conducted our study on West Nile Virus.”

Note that by providing a few names as examples, we imply that there are many more than just these three trees or these three breeds of horse.

If these three trees or horse breeds were the only ones in those settings, the sentences would instead read:

“There are many spruce, oak, and maple trees in the study area.”

“There are Thoroughbreds, Appaloosas, and Paints at the barn where we conducted our study on West Nile Virus.”

Related: Finished preparing your manuscript? Check out  these additional points now before submitting your manuscript

Remembering the abbreviation i.e. is just as easy. It begins with an “i” and so does the first word in its meaning—“in other words.” Here’s how to use i.e. in a sentence:

“After work, I’m going to try the new restaurant (i.e., All About Pasta) to decide on a venue for the reception.”

“To buy the car that I really want (i.e., a Tesla), I will have to work a lot of overtime.”

It might also help you remember the differences if you think of the two abbreviations this way: e.g. provides examples so it tends to increase the number of options, while i.e. provides clarification or precise information so that it tends to narrow down the number of options.

Punctuation and Style

Correct punctuation of abbreviations is also important. For these two abbreviations, the punctuation is fairly simple, although there are some exceptions (as noted). Some of the rules of punctuation for these two abbreviations are as follows:

• Use lowercase letters unless at the beginning of a sentence (very rare) and then capitalize only the first letter. It would be best to not use an abbreviation to begin a sentence. Instead, write out the phrase it stands for, such as “for example,” or “in other words,” to begin the sentence.
• Place a period after each letter.
• Place a comma after the second period (note: in British English, no commas are used).
• Do not italicize even though they are abbreviated Latin terms; however, note that some author guidelines specify that all foreign words and phrases be italicized. In scientific writing, we often see phrases such as “in vitro” italicized as well as these abbreviations. Be sure to check your guidelines.
• Place the phrase either in parentheses or within the sentence itself. This is a matter of preferred style. Most scientific writings place the phrases inside parentheses, and the Chicago Manual of Style, which is used for all prose and poetry and in many of the liberal arts fields of discipline, specifies that they always be inside parentheses.

Different disciplines use different style guides that have their own rules of punctuation for these and other abbreviations. Generally, the above points should be followed in most cases in academic writing. Abbreviations are fairly standardized across all disciplines; however, always be sure to check your author guidelines and style guides for specific discipline for any exceptions to these rules.

Have you faced any problems while using e.g. or i.e.? What tips did you follow? Share with us in the comments section!

How is for example written in a sentence?

How do you use grammatically for example?

Can you start sentence with for example?