Grammar usage: eg vs ie [LWN.net]

Grammar usage: eg vs ie

Posted Dec 5, 2002 4:45 UTC (Thu) by simon_kitching (guest, #4874)
Parent article: Coming soon: gnucash 1.8

Don't you hate people criticising grammar ? :-)

However, this one is getting so prevalent (and LWN is such a shining light of journalism) I can't resist:
(from http://www.jpschoemer.com/MostCommonErrors.html)

e.g., exemplia gratia, means for example;
i.e., id est, means that is to say, and references words synonymous with the preceding statement.

I believe both usages of "i.e." below should be "e.g.":
(i.e. you can't put your company's address onto invoices in anything but image form), and important features (i.e. payroll) are lacking.

The acronym "i.e." implies that the explanation you are making is the only possible explanation, while "e.g." is an example.

If payroll were the only lacking feature, then "i.e." would be appropriate.

Sorry :-)

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Grammar usage: eg vs ie

Posted Dec 11, 2002 21:45 UTC (Wed) by Pananix (guest, #8512) [Link]

As I'm a bit of kibitzer myself, so I'll see your grammar and raise you punctuation.

BTW, I only mildly despise people who correct grammar, and only when their punctuation is hosed ;-).

The abbreviations e.g., i.e., et. al., are _always_ followed by a comma. Only your definitions contain the correct punctuation.

If you're going to criticize, it would be best to get it all correct: grammar, spelling, and punctuation. (And depending on your source for punctuation, the comma following the word spelling in the previous sentence is correct -- or not.)

Grammar usage: eg vs ie

Posted Dec 13, 2002 15:48 UTC (Fri) by sl70 (guest, #1585) [Link]

I'll see your punctuation and raise you pedantry.

Technically, there should be no period after the ``et'' in et al., as et (meaning ``and'') is a complete word in Latin. Similarly, etc., back in the old days, was written et c. (with a space and no `.' after et), standing for et cetera (meaning ``and other things''). And if we're going to get REALLY picky (OK, I'm getting really picky), etc. should be used to mean ``and other (inanimate) things'' and et al. (from et alia) should be used to mean ``and other people.'' I find et al. frequently misused where etc. should be used.