[Vocabulary] Many people prefer to waste much time interacting and chatting on social networking

[yi-ing]

Hello.

I am writing to ask if the both following sentences makes sense grammatically and logically?

Many people prefer to waste much time interacting and chatting on social networking sites online rather than face-to-face communication.


Many people prefer to waste much time interacting and chatting on social networking sites online rather than having face-to-face communication.

 

[teechar]

No one prefers to waste their time, and the word "online" is redundant. Try, for example,

Many people prefer to spend time on social networking sites, chatting and interacting with others, instead of communicating face to face.

 

[teechar]

That's true, I suppose. I retract the initial part of my comment in post #2. :up:

 

[yi-ing]

No one prefers to waste their time, and the word "online" is redundant. Try, for example,

Many people prefer to spend time on social networking sites, chatting and interacting with others, instead of communicating face to face.

Thanks.
I have some questions:

First: If we intended to expand our sentences, then it would be like the following:
Many people prefer to spend time on social networking sites, (prefer to spend time) chatting and (prefer to spend time )interacting with others, instead of communicating face to face.

Second:The preposition 'on' is only applied to the first item of the list.

Third:is "instead of having communicating face to face " incorrect?

 

[teechar]

Thanks.
I have some questions:

First: If we intended to expand our sentences, then it would be like the following:
Many people prefer to spend time on social networking sites, (prefer to spend time) chatting and (prefer to spend time) interacting with others, instead of communicating face to face.

Why would you want to do that?! :shock: You'd only end up with an ungainly (bloated) and confused sentence. Don't do that!

Second:The preposition 'on' is only applied to the first item of the list.

See above.

Third:is "instead of having communicating face to face " incorrect?

Yes, it's incorrect. You could say "instead of having face-to-face communication (with real people)".

 

[yi-ing]

Why would you want to do that?! :shock: You'd only end up with an ungainly (bloated) and confused sentence. Don't do that!

I don't want to do that at all. I just wanted to know how the items were listed, and if 'on' applied on three items in a list or not.

If we wanted to use the word "face-to-face" as an adjective we have to use hyphen (-). But when it is used as noun it don't have to have hyphen:

Face-to-face communication.
Communicating face to face.

 

[teechar]

If we wanted to use the word "face-to-face" as an adjective, we have to use hyphens (-).

Yes, that's right.

But when it is used as an adverb, [STRIKE]noun[/STRIKE] it [STRIKE]don't[/STRIKE] doesn't have to have hyphens.

Some people hyphenate it as an adverb, but I don't.

 

[yi-ing]

They complain that I prefer to waste my time playing on language forums.

May I ask how do you feel about it, if you don't mind asking this question?

 

[teechar]

May I ask (you) how [STRIKE]do[/STRIKE] you feel about it, if you don't mind my asking this question?

.