Incorrect or non-standard usage, overuse etc
My family has five members.
I like watching TV with my family members.
I meet my family members for dinner at Chinese New Year.
The problem
Overuse, especially in spoken English, of a word found mostly in formal written English. A tax return, for example, might have a section headed 'Family members'.
Standard English
There are five people in my family.
Or more naturally,
I live with my parents and my two sisters.
I like watching TV with my / the family.
I meet my family for dinner at Chinese New Year.
Back to common errors index
printer-friendly version