Use **e.g.** with a comma when you are introducing a short list of examples > There are many good dictionaries on sale nowadays e.g., Chambers, Longman, and Collins. Use **etc.** when it is obvious that you are referring to a long list >There are many types of dictionaries: monolingual, bilingual, slang, etc. These are very common abbreviations derived from Latin and shouldn't create any difficulty of comprehension with the vast majority of English speakers. But if you are writing a formal report, paper, proposal, etc. Or your audience might be unfamiliar with their meanings e.g., non-native speakers, then by all means use their English equivalents “such as”, “for instance” and “for example” can substitute *e.g.* Either “and so forth” or “and so on” can replace *etc.*. It is considered poor style to use different abbreviations such as: ex, EX, and to use more than one period after etc. So, avoid writing: etc.... It is also advisable not to use both abbreviations within the same sentence and to omit the comma after e.g. and the last comma in the list preceding etc. For example, > There are many types of dictionaries **e.g.** monolingual, bilingual, **slang etc**. The example above is the thing *best* avoided.