punctuation - Should I always use a comma after "e.g." or "i.e."?


It seems that "e.g." is always followed by a comma but "i.e." is not. Why is that?



Answer



The distinction probably emerges from their different meanings in Latin, which grants them different usages in writing.


E.g. (exempli gratia in Latin, meaning “for example”) should be generally followed by a list of examples. Thus, adhering to proper English style usually requires commas to follow e.g. to delimit the beginning of that list.


I.e. (id est in Latin, meaning “that is”) is used to recapture the meaning of an antecedent clause by rephrasing. Typically, it is only followed by a clause describing a singular entity, and so does not require a comma.


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