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Where does using one over the other cause an actual change in information though? Not just sticking out as the wrong one if you know the proper distinction, but
by Talanes 6y ago
Where does using one over the other cause an actual change in information though? Not just sticking out as the wrong one if you know the proper distinction, but actually conveying different information? The comparison that follows is the important part, the abbreviation is a part of grammatical dressing that provides some flow and framing.
- alvah 6y agoAlways, if used correctly. i.e. = in other words, e.g. = for example. Surely, as a native English speaker, you can see the huge difference? One is definitive, the other is presenting one or more examples.
- danaliv 6y agoI read my daily updates on technology, i.e., HackerNews... Totally different meaning if you replace i.e. with e.g.
- Talanes 6y agoHow so? Because I'm not going to assume that you are calling HackerNews the same as technology in any reading of the sentence, purely from context. So what other shifted meaning can be had from the swap?
- dragonwriter 6y ago> Because I’m not going to assume that you are calling HackerNews the same as technology in any reading of the sentence, purely from context. The first is saying “HackerNews” is the same as “my daily updates on technology” . The second (replacing “i.e.” with “e.g.”) is saying “HackerNews” is an example—one item in a broader collection—of “my daily updates on technology”.
- jstanley 6y agoBut "i.e." doesn't lead to a "comparison", it leads to a restating of the same thing. Take a look at a car (i.e. an automobile). Take a look at a car (e.g. a Nissan). Do you see the difference?
- Talanes 6y agoI would still see the difference if you switched the e.g. and i.e. without batting an eye though.