Our phones/family/families

[Anna232]

Is it grammatical to omit "our" in my sentences and use either "family" or "families"?

Spending too much time on (our) phones can cause helth problems. It also reduces real face to face communication with (our) family/families.

 

[Tarheel]

Use the first sentence with "our". (Why would you not?) For the second, try: It also reduces face-to-face communication with our family members.

 

[Anna232]

Use the first sentence with "our". (Why would you not?) For the second, try: It also reduces face-to-face communication with our family members.

I have seen examples where "family" was used without a determiner. In my sentence is it wrong to use "It also reduces real face to face communication with family?"

 

[Tarheel]

First, while "our" is not wrong, I could have left it out of my suggestion.

Hm. I think that answers your question.

 

[Anna232]

First, while "our" is not wrong, I could have left it out of my suggestion.

Hm. I think that answers your question.

Sorry, do you mean both "our family" and "family" without a determiner is correct?
"It also reduces real face to face communication with (our) family/with family."

 

[Tarheel]

@Anna232 The first use of "our" was with a plural noun. If you are going to use "our family" when talking to me (for example) then we should be cousins or something like that. "It reduces face-to-face communication with family" is fine

 

[Anna232]

@Anna232 The first use of "our" was with a plural noun. If you are going to use "our family" when talking to me (for example) then we should be cousins or something like that. "It reduces face-to-face communication with family" is fine

One last question. Are "with families" and "with our families" also correct?

 

[Tarheel]

Yes. That's fine.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use either "our mobiles/mobile phones" or "a mobile [phone]". I'm not sure why you've specified our families. Spending too much time on a mobile reduces face-to-face communication with everyone.