An Educational Moment: When to use i.e. in a sentence

As an bilingual speaker, correct pronunciation is key to communication. In Spanish, pronunciation can be relatively easy since the vowels are pronounced phonetically. In English, well??? that’s a different story.

I have to admit…I’m fascinated with knowing how to properly use words and abbreviations. Case in point: “i.e.”. When do you use i.e. in a sentence? One of my favorite websites, The Oatmeal, just recently came out with a set of comic strips that get this across.

In short, you use i.e. when you want to explain what you just said in a different way, i.e., how the cute little synapses in their brain can perceive it. (See, I’m already using i.e…YEY for me!!!!). Which can include definitions, examples and/or clarifications. For more clarification, i.e. (YES, I know I’m getting out of hand here!), a better and more detail way of explaining i.e., go check out this link (You can thank me later):