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about "i.e."

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Hi,

I am not sure if the sentence forms following "i.e." are correct:

Is John a bilingual, i.e., does he speak two languages?

Is John a bilingual, i.e., he speaks two languages, or a trilingual, i.e., he speaks three languages?

I'd appreciate your help.
They are correct. You need to be aware, though, that many people consistently confuse i.e. (id est, = "that is") with e.g. (exempli gratia, = "for example), and will use one where the other should be. You therefore may want to prefer the English words "that is" and "for example" to avoid this problem.
They are correct. You need to be aware, though, that many people consistently confuse i.e. (id est, = "that is") with e.g. (exempli gratia, = "for example), and will use one where the other should be. You therefore may want to prefer the English words "that is" and "for example" to avoid this problem.

Thanks for the reminder. My concern, though, is whether subject-auxiliary inversion is correctly used in the examples.
Consider more possibilities:

1. Is John a bilingual, i.e., does he speak two languages?
1'. Is John a bilingual, i.e. he speaks two languages?

2. Is John a bilingual, i.e., he speaks two languages, or a trilingual, i.e., he speaks three languages?
2'. Is John a bilingual, i.e., does he speak two languages, or a trilingual, i.e., does he speak three languages?

Are they all acceptable?
Thanks for the reminder. My concern, though, is whether subject-auxiliary inversion is correctly used in the examples.
Consider more possibilities:

1. Is John a bilingual, i.e., does he speak two languages?
1'. Is John a bilingual, i.e. he speaks two languages?

2. Is John a bilingual, i.e., he speaks two languages, or a trilingual, i.e., he speaks three languages?
2'. Is John a bilingual, i.e., does he speak two languages, or a trilingual, i.e., does he speak three languages?

If you are restating a question, the restatement should also be in the form of a question. It has nothing in particular to do with "i.e.":

Is John bilingual [note: not a bilingual]? I mean, two languages? 👁 Tick :tick:

Is John bilingual? In other words, two languages?
Is John bilingual? I.e., two language? 👁 Tick :tick:

Is John bilingual? I.e., two languages? 👁 Cross :cross:
​
I agree with #4, that you restate a question with a question. But if your "speaks two languages" comment is just about the word "bilingual", you don't have to repeat the question. You just have to target your comment at only the word "bilingual", not the whole question.

Is John "bilingual" (i.e. he speaks two languages)?
I agree with #4, that you restate a question with a question. But if your "speaks two languages" comment is just about the word "bilingual", you don't have to repeat the question. You just have to target your comment at only the word "bilingual", not the whole question.

Is John "bilingual" (i.e. he speaks two languages)?

Are you suggesting the following two options are both correct, depending on whether the comment explains the word "bilingual" or restates the question?

Is John bilingual, i.e. he speaks two languages?
Is John bilingual, i.e. does he speak two languages?
Are you suggesting the following two options are both correct, depending on whether the comment explains the word "bilingual" or restates the question?

1. Is John bilingual, i.e. he speaks two languages?
2. Is John bilingual, i.e. does he speak two languages?

No. As the speaker, you don't get to decide what your sentence means. So you can't decide that 1. is correct.

Is John "bilingual" (i.e. he speaks two languages)?

I said this sentence is correct. This sentence has quotation marks and parentheses that 1 does not have.
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