Poll

So, do you?

yes
41 (69.5%)
no
16 (27.1%)
I thought they were the same
2 (3.4%)

Total Members Voted: 58

Author Topic: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)  (Read 6151 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Ħ

  • Posts: 3247
  • Gender: Male
As of about a month ago, I finally learned. But I never knew there was a difference before then.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Online wolfking

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 46303
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2012, 06:50:22 PM »
eg = example
ie - that is

Didn't know people didn't know that.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline XJDenton

  • What a shame
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 7552
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2012, 07:04:59 PM »
Indeed. E.g. denotes an example of the subject of the preceding sub-sentence, whereas i.e. is a shitty web browser.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Offline yeshaberto

  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 8986
  • Gender: Male
  • Somebody Get Me A Doctor! - VH
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2012, 07:08:40 PM »
I knew that but don't know what the abbreviations are for

Online lonestar

  • DTF Executive Chef
  • Official DTF Tour Guide
  • ****
  • Posts: 29716
  • Gender: Male
  • Silly Hatted Knife Chucker
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2012, 07:11:14 PM »
Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2012, 07:18:04 PM »
Yup. I learned the difference a year ago or so.

Offline rumborak

  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 26664
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2012, 07:27:21 PM »
Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Well, here's another thing most people don't know: Frankenstein isn't the name of the monster, it's the name of the doctor who created him. The monster actually never has a name.

rumborak
"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Online Adami

  • Moderator of awesomeness
  • *
  • Posts: 36093
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2012, 07:30:06 PM »
Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Well, here's another thing most people don't know: Frankenstein isn't the name of the monster, it's the name of the doctor who created him. The monster actually never has a name.

rumborak

Monsters name was actually Tiffany. That's why it got so pissed off.
fanticide.bandcamp.com

Offline Fluffy Lothario

  • Posts: 4778
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2012, 07:40:20 PM »
Learned this at uni by losing a few marks.

Offline snapple

  • Dad-bod Expert
  • Posts: 5144
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2012, 07:54:41 PM »
i dun learned me this when i was at a nascar game! i took a guess at the thingy and got it right in some sort of free beer contest! by God was that beer gud!

Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2012, 07:59:06 PM »
Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Only because we're in this thread...

*every day

How many people here know the difference between every day and everyday?

Offline snapple

  • Dad-bod Expert
  • Posts: 5144
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2012, 08:03:02 PM »
Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Only because we're in this thread...

*every day


Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2012, 08:10:46 PM »
Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Only because we're in this thread...

*every day





*ollies outie*

Offline Jaffa

  • Just Jaffa
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 4866
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2012, 08:22:01 PM »
As for the OP, I did know the difference between them, but I don't know what either abbreviation actually stand for. 

Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Only because we're in this thread...

*every day

How many people here know the difference between every day and everyday?

John listens to the radio every day.
John listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence. 
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline Fiery Winds

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2959
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2012, 09:28:41 PM »
Yup.  Everyday is an adjective that describes something as a common occurrence.  Every day is a combination of an adjective and noun that means "each day". 

Offline Cool Chris

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 13559
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2012, 09:40:20 PM »
Frankenstein isn't the name of the monster, it's the name of the doctor who created him. The monster actually never has a name.

rumborak

This actually always bugs me too when people think it is the name of the monster.
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Offline theseoafs

  • When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bayyyyy
  • Posts: 5573
  • Gender: Male
  • Hello! My name is Elder Price
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #16 on: March 23, 2012, 09:41:46 PM »
As for the OP, I did know the difference between them, but I don't know what either abbreviation actually stand for. 

Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Only because we're in this thread...

*every day

How many people here know the difference between every day and everyday?

John listens to the radio every day.
John listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.
Here, we want to say John's listening to the radio. Otherwise, we're calling John an occurrence, which is weird.

Offline Jaffa

  • Just Jaffa
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 4866
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #17 on: March 23, 2012, 09:43:31 PM »
As for the OP, I did know the difference between them, but I don't know what either abbreviation actually stand for. 

Well they say I learn something new everyday, I was kinda hoping for something a bit more meaningful today, but I'll live with this.  Thanks. :tup

Only because we're in this thread...

*every day

How many people here know the difference between every day and everyday?

John listens to the radio every day.
John listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.
Here, we want to say John's listening to the radio. Otherwise, we're calling John an occurrence, which is weird.

No, we're not calling John an occurrence, we're calling John being in the state of listening to the radio an occurrence. 
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline theseoafs

  • When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bayyyyy
  • Posts: 5573
  • Gender: Male
  • Hello! My name is Elder Price
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #18 on: March 23, 2012, 09:45:36 PM »
Hey, if you think of people as occurrences, that's cool, man.

Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2012, 09:47:53 PM »
Yeah. I actually will tend to side with theseoafs. "Listening to the radio" is a extra bit of information describing John, and the sentence should still make sense without it. If you take it out it becomes, "John is an everyday occurrence."

Offline Jaffa

  • Just Jaffa
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 4866
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #20 on: March 23, 2012, 09:51:08 PM »
Except it's not actually an extra bit of information.  It's the point of the sentence. 

"John listened to the radio today?  Well, duh!  Him listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence!" 

Would you consider this valid?  If so, sub 'him' with 'John' and the sentence shouldn't be any less valid.  If not, then, well, I respectfully disagree but could very well be wrong.
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline theseoafs

  • When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bayyyyy
  • Posts: 5573
  • Gender: Male
  • Hello! My name is Elder Price
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #21 on: March 23, 2012, 09:54:23 PM »
You have two options --

John listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.
John's listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.

The first has John as the subject, and the second has listening as the subject. In the first sentence, "listening to the radio" modifies the subject John, and in the second, "John's" modifies the subject "listening to the radio". As Implode said, these modifiers shouldn't really be integral to the sentences, and the sentence should make a lick of sense without them. So let's take them out:

John is an everyday occurrence.
Listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.

Obviously, the second is preferable.

Except it's not actually an extra bit of information.  It's the point of the sentence. 

If it's the point of the sentence, it should be the subject.

Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #22 on: March 23, 2012, 09:54:37 PM »
I actually say things like that when I speak all the time, but most correctly I think it should be "His listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence."

Of course this isn't really a big deal. The point of grammar is to facilitate clear communication, and we know what you mean either way.

Offline Jaffa

  • Just Jaffa
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 4866
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2012, 09:56:30 PM »
> proven wrong at grammar.
> wants to write professionally.
> should probably rethink life. 

In my defense, I did use 'everyday' correctly, which was the point. 
« Last Edit: March 23, 2012, 10:14:04 PM by Jaffa »
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline Ħ

  • Posts: 3247
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2012, 09:57:25 PM »
theseoafs is right for once.

Wow, that's another predicament. If the subject of your sentence is a proper noun but not capitalized, then do you you captialize it at the beginning of the sentence? Example: theseoafs.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #25 on: March 23, 2012, 09:59:51 PM »
I think case sensitive proper names is new enough to where there isn't really an official "rule" yet.

Offline theseoafs

  • When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bayyyyy
  • Posts: 5573
  • Gender: Male
  • Hello! My name is Elder Price
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #26 on: March 23, 2012, 10:00:31 PM »
The only reason you would ever have this problem is if you're dealing with some artsy-fartsy type who insists on having their title written in lowercase (we're looking at you, Mr. cummings), so it's sort of a non-issue. But I suppose you could talk to Mr. cummings directly if you absolutely needed to know.

I do not particularly care about the capitalization of my name.

EDIT: Before somebody gets their panties in a bunch about my pronoun usage, yes, I did use a singular their. The singular their is good.

EDIT 2: I also began a sentence with "But" without attaching an independent clause. This one, I'm not so okay with.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2012, 10:08:41 PM by theseoafs »

Offline Jaffa

  • Just Jaffa
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 4866
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #27 on: March 23, 2012, 10:14:33 PM »
I think you can be forgiven based on the fact that you pointed it out rather than trying to hide it with editing. 
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline Ħ

  • Posts: 3247
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #28 on: March 23, 2012, 10:20:42 PM »
EDIT 2: I also began a sentence with "But" without attaching an independent clause. This one, I'm not so okay with.
Eh, it's effective writing. Lots of great writers start their sentences with conjunctions.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline antigoon

  • Not Elvis
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 10293
  • Gender: Male
  • This was a triumph.
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #29 on: March 23, 2012, 10:30:54 PM »
the singular their is NOT good.

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19226
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #30 on: March 23, 2012, 10:31:15 PM »
You have two options --

John listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.
John's listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.

The first has John as the subject, and the second has listening as the subject. In the first sentence, "listening to the radio" modifies the subject John, and in the second, "John's" modifies the subject "listening to the radio". As Implode said, these modifiers shouldn't really be integral to the sentences, and the sentence should make a lick of sense without them. So let's take them out:

John is an everyday occurrence.
Listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.

Obviously, the second is preferable.

Except it's not actually an extra bit of information.  It's the point of the sentence. 

If it's the point of the sentence, it should be the subject.

Close, but not quite.  You're thinking of a prepositional phrase.  A prepositional phrase can always be removed and not modify the structure of a sentence.  The subject remains the subject, the verb remains the verb, the object remains the object.

In this case, however, the two sentences are actually equivalent.  "John listening to the radio" is what is occurring.  It happens every day.  It is an everyday occurence.

You can also say that "listening to the radio" is what is occurring.  "Listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence" is a perfectly valid statement.  In this case, however, the fact that John is doing it is the extra information.  It is John's listening to the radio, but listening to the radio is in fact the subject.

Still don't believe me?  Consider a hypothethical conversation taking place in the next room.

A: What's going on in there?  I hear music.
B: John's listening to the radio.  He does it every day.

Or consider this:

A: What is John doing in there? 
B: Listening to the radio.  He does it every day.

The apostrophe denotes possession, not contraction.  It's not "John is listening to the radio".  John "owns" the action of listening to the radio, and that act is the subject of the sentence.

Offline Implode

  • Lord of the Squids
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 5821
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #31 on: March 23, 2012, 10:31:52 PM »
the singular their is NOT good.

Yeah, but it's replacement is even worse.

EDIT: Or maybe not if you use "one's" instead.

Offline Ħ

  • Posts: 3247
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #32 on: March 23, 2012, 10:33:24 PM »
"John's listening to the radio" uses a possessive. "John's" is not short for "John is".
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline theseoafs

  • When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bayyyyy
  • Posts: 5573
  • Gender: Male
  • Hello! My name is Elder Price
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #33 on: March 23, 2012, 10:40:12 PM »
the singular their is NOT good.
Nah, singular their is fine. It's been used by plenty of legitimate authors ( https://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html ), and English's lack of a generic "he or she" or "his or her" is really annoying.

Offline theseoafs

  • When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bayyyyy
  • Posts: 5573
  • Gender: Male
  • Hello! My name is Elder Price
Re: Do you know the difference between i.e. and e.g.? (don't look it up!)
« Reply #34 on: March 23, 2012, 10:41:38 PM »
You have two options --

John listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.
John's listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.

The first has John as the subject, and the second has listening as the subject. In the first sentence, "listening to the radio" modifies the subject John, and in the second, "John's" modifies the subject "listening to the radio". As Implode said, these modifiers shouldn't really be integral to the sentences, and the sentence should make a lick of sense without them. So let's take them out:

John is an everyday occurrence.
Listening to the radio is an everyday occurrence.

Obviously, the second is preferable.

Except it's not actually an extra bit of information.  It's the point of the sentence. 

If it's the point of the sentence, it should be the subject.

*snip*
Yeah, you said about everything I said.