common ground
A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems; any belief, etc. held in common.
The first thing to do is to find common ground with the person you just met.
VERBS
be, seem | become | remain
ADV
extremely, very | increasingly
fairly, quite
Mobile phones with broken screens are quite common these days.
VERBS
be
PREP
to
Fear of public speaking is common to people in many different professions.
PHRASES
have sth in common
My brother and I have a lot in common even though we grew up in different cities.
hold sth in common
The two friends discovered they held a love of music in common.
in common with
Many European countries, in common with the United States, celebrate a national holiday in autumn.
VERBS
be, seem, sound
Eating pizza for dinner seems quite common among teenagers these days.
ADV
very
a bit, rather, slightly
My uncle's taste in music is rather common, but he enjoys it anyway.
VERB + COMMON GROUND
have, share
Even though they grew up in different countries, the two friends found common ground through their love of music.
establish, find | find yourself on
PREP
on ~
They discovered they were on common ground about raising their children.
~ between
Despite their different backgrounds, the two friends discovered common ground between their love of music and travel.
PHRASES
an area of common ground
ADJ
good, sound | plain, pure, simple | practical
VERB + COMMON SENSE
have
My sister has common sense about money, so we always ask her for financial advice.
exercise, rely on/upon, show, use
When you're lost, it helps to exercise common sense and ask for directions.
COMMON SENSE + VERB
prevail
When the committee finally listened to the experts, common sense prevailed and they cancelled the unsafe project.
dictate sth, suggest sth, tell sb sth
Common sense dictates that you should always look both ways before crossing the street.
PHRASES
(not) an ounce of common sense
She didn't have an ounce of common sense when she decided to drive in the snowstorm.