Forum: english.stackexchange.com
Tags: <commas>
Title: Should there be a comma after "i.e."?
Question: If I remember correctly from English class, then one should put a comma after "i.e.", i.e., the Latin abbreviation for id est.  But lately I've seen the comma after "i.e." dropped in books. So what is the rule or consensus here if any?

Answers:
sents: text: Some books & journals use American English, while some use British English.
text: In the American style of writing, a comma is inserted before and after i.e.
text: However, in the British style of writing, a comma is inserted before but not after i.e.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/127/Mehper C. Palavuzlar
score: 65
sents: text: It seems that the use of comma is found more often in American English, and even there, it is not always required .
text: Nevertheless, even though I prefer the comma and have sources to back me up, they almost all use hedge words like “usually” and “preferred.
text: ” I've also been told that the commas are used less frequently in Britain, and the only style guide I found that advised against commas was Fowler's Modern English Usage, which has its roots in British English.
text: The bottom line is that in American English, I recommend using a comma after i.e. and e.g. You could probably make an argument for leaving it out in some cases, but do so at your own risk.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2172/Eldroß
score: 20
sents: text: Personally, my UK-centric view is that I would put a comma after 'that is'; that is, if I were to use the long-hand, so to speak.
text: But I would not put a comma after 'id est';
text: i.e. although it may seem 'correct', I feel it impedes understanding, rather than aiding it.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2302/CJM
score: 10
sents: text: As indicated in The Elements of Style , abbreviations are "parenthetic and should be punctuated accordingly".
text: It also says "never omit one comma and leave the other".
text: For me, this means if you put a comma before "i.e.", there has to be another comma after it.
text: I don't think every rule in The Elements of Style is critical or mandatory to proper writing, but it is safe and trouble-free to follow most of them.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/12512/Yang Chi
score: 8
sents: text: I have been doing technical writing for over 30 years and have always separated the substitution with a comma.
text: For some years, printers dropped the comma to save ink and space.
text: I refuse to accept cost as a reason to override logic and clarity.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/42053/TechWriter
score: 4
sents: text: American English here.
text: I read somewhere, but unfortunately I cannot find the source, that it might also be acceptable to write it as "i.e,".
text: That's how I usually write it, as it appears to look less cluttered to me.
text: I'm very sorry to provide no sources for this.
text: Example:
text: It is acceptable to write the phrase as above, i.e, replacing the last period with a comma.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/98777/iamsotired
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
The question of whether to add a comma after i.e. will vary depending on the variant of English. In American English, a comma is inserted before and after i.e. but in British English a comma is only inserted before. There is no consensus as to what is "correct".
The choice regarding putting a comma after i.e. may vary depend on whether using UK or US writing styles. In UK English, generally a comma is inserted before the i.e. However,  the use of the comma is more prevalent in US writing. Fowler's Modern  English Usage, which has its roots in  British English, advised against its use in this fashion. However, the Style Guide suggests its use as abbreviations are parentheses. This is understood by some to mean placing a comma before and after the abbreviation. Printers also may not use them to save ink and space. There is potentially an option of using i.e, but no source can be provided for this choice.
The question of whether to add a comma after i.e. will vary depending on the variant of English. In American English, a comma is inserted before and after i.e. but in British English a comma is only inserted before. There is no consensus as to what is "correct".
Difference between American and British English. The comma is more prevalent in US English.
The use of commas with i.e. and e.g. is recommended. However, some say that in American usage, there should be a comma before and after them  and in British English, there should only be a comma before them.
The use of commas in this context may be more common in American English and less common in British English. It is also possibly acceptable to write "i.e," with the final full stop replaced by a comma.