As a tutor I can usually spend more time with the student.  I would suggest that he reduce the first sentence to a phrase and put the "in common" where it belongs, in the main clause, thus:

No matter what it is, we will always have something in common to talk about. 

Bruce

>>> [log in to unmask] 06/28/01 03:43AM >>>
I'd appreciate your comments about the last sentence in the following.
In particular, I would like to know if you consider it a comma-splice,
and, if so, what you would do about it (if anything) in a student's
writing?

With all these people I have at least one thing in common, either hair
or eye color, or even disliking or liking the same people. It doesn't
matter what we have in common, we will always have something to talk
about.

Thanks,
Ed V.

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