Hi Shizuka,

Yes, i.e. can be used to expand on any previous idea, including a complete sentence, not just the most recent word. This will depend on context but I think most of the time it should be apparent what you are restating, as the explanation that follows the i.e. will somehow match the words before (e.g. if it’s just a few words, it may be restating the last word/words, but if it goes into a deeper explanation it will be more clearly discussion the prior phrase or clause).
For example:

The council want to give the high street a boost by making it more pedestrian-friendly, i.e. they believe that if there are fewer cars, more people will come to shopping. (Full clauses makes it clear we’re restating the overall sentence)
The council want to give the high street a boost by making it more pedestrian-friendly, i.e. car-free. (A single word makes it clear we’re restating the last few words.)

Likewise, for e.g., it will depend on the context and how the example is presented, so I think it should be made clear which you are expanding upon through that, but yes e.g. could cover the last word or words, or a complete idea presented before.

Phil

I have a question about the use of i.e. and e.g.

Firstly, is it true that “i.e.” is only used to provide clarification to the word that precedes it immediately, or can it be used to clarify the meaning of an entire sentence? Using a diagram approach, for instance, if “rest of sentence” + “last word of sentence” + “i.e. xxxxx”, does the “i.e.” portion here only provide clarity on the “last word of the sentence”, which is typically the case, or can it also be used to clarify the entire sentence (comprising of “rest of sentence” plus “last word of sentence”)?

Secondly, does the above logic also apply to “e.g.”, meaning to say is it true that “e.g.” can only be used to provide examples of the word that immediately precedes the “e.g.”?

Also, for the first question above, appreciate if you could support your explanation with some examples, thanks!

Regards,
Shizuka

Hi Marryan, certainly though that seems like a very broad topic! I would suggest starting by seeing if you can spot instances of the examples included in this article.

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