We all hate the awkward silences that can pop up during a first date. Perhaps it seemed like the two of you had a lot in common when you first met, but the added pressure of now being on a formal date has caused the conversation to completely stop. To avoid these uncomfortable moments, use these tips to start a conversation on a first date.

Get your date to talk about themselves.

People absolutely love to talk about themselves. When you encourage your date to share some things with you, it works out even better. In fact, if you appear attentive and interested when your date is talking, then your date is almost certain to think that you are also a great conversationalist (even if you actually end up saying very little).

You may want to start off with some basic information.

Don't ask questions that are too private or personal because many people do not like to share too much information on a first date. Ask your date some questions about where they grew up, their family, their high school, and anything else that you can think of that is not prying in too deep.

You could also ask them where they attended college, what was the major focus of study, and so forth. Talking about education will often prompt other conversational topics, such as current job, future career plans, hobbies, leisure time activities etc.

Be on the lookout for environmental cues.

Environmental cues are simply things that are related to the setting that you are currently in. For example, if you are visiting a restaurant for the first time, then you can make a comment about how other people have highly recommended the place to you and you hope the food will be good.

If you are at a sporting event like a baseball or basketball game, try to talk about how well the team is doing in the standings. You can point out current stats of players that are performing well or talk about your favorite star players.

Be yourself and have fun.

It may also help the conversation on a first date to remember that not all of the talk has to be centered around the fact that you are on a date. Relax, be yourself, and have some fun. Try to let the conversation flow comfortably and naturally. If you get stuck, you can get the conversation rolling just by thinking about how you would talk to a good friend in the same situation.