Have you ever been in a conversation with someone when, suddenly, you do not know what to say anymore? Maybe you do not know the other person enough, or the two of you are bored. If you are stuck in a situation because of not knowing what to talk about with someone, do not despair! I have a list of 5 questions that can help you start and continue conversations, usually informal conversations.

These questions can work both offline and online. You should remember that many people ask such questions because they actually want to know the answer. I am one of those people, therefore I have listed the reason I ask that specific question on a regular basis.

5 typical questions that can help continue conversations

1. How is school/work going?

   Many people will either have good or bad experiences at places they study or work at, and even if they have a boring experience, it is something that can spur up a conversation. I like asking this question as it is nice to know what people think of two things that they may be doing more than most of other things in their life: study or work.

2. How is the weather?

   Almost everyone you ask such a question randomly, will have at least something to say about it. I like such a question as I sometimes like comparing the weather I may be experiencing, good or bad, with what other areas in the world are experiencing. For example, I love the rain, so if it has not rained for a while in my area, I may ask you if it has rained in your area. Why? Probably because I miss the rain.

3. Have you seen any movies lately?

   You can probably talk for hours if you ask some people any question about their favorite movie. Many people see movies regularly, as it is an activity that can be a hobby for many. This can be a very good question to not only carry on a conversation, but to start discussing a lot of things related to what is shown in almost any specific movie. I love asking this question because I love watching movies, and I want to find out about movies I have not seen, and I want to find out what people think of different movies, and watching movies in general.

4. So, what are you doing up so late at night?

   “Talking to you, of course!” This question can be asked when a conversation has literally stopped. The “So” word basically allows you to change the direction of any topic, if it has not stopped already, to something new. Finding out why one is up so late is not the destination for such a question; the reason why one is up is what you are after, as that will allow you to come up with some new topics. I like asking this question as it tells me more about the late night habits of other people, unless the other person is in some country where it is daytime, while it is night time in my area.

5. What did you eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner?

   This is a question you will rarely hear someone asking you, but this is a good thing to ask, since the topic of food can be a very typical one, and special too, for many people. Almost everyone will have an answer to this question, and it should give you some time or direction to steer a conversation towards something, including the concept of eating food or favorite restaurants. I love asking this question because I like eating food. I also ask this question when I am very hungry.

Thank you for reading. What is your opinion about these questions? Can you think up of some other questions that can do a similar trick? These questions may not only allow you to carry on a conversation, but they may actually become interesting to you after you have learned to use them for a while.

So, what did you have for lunch today?