Middle ground

Middle ground

Today’s expression is “middle ground.” Although we use the word “ground,” middle ground is often not a physical place. Instead, it’s the space between two opposites.

In today’s lesson, we talked about the difference between independent contractors and employees . These two classifications are very different in the eyes of the law and most countries classify workers as one or the other. But in the UK, they have something called “workers,” which is the middle ground between contractors and employees. In the UK, “workers” get some, but not all, of the benefits of employees while keeping some, but not all, of the flexibility of contractors. The UK has a middle ground. The U.S. does not; you’re either one or the other.

In this sense, then, the middle ground is in between two opposites. When I was looking for a car, I wanted something small. I live in a city, I don’t have a family, and I just prefer a small car. But, I do sometimes want the capacity to carry stuff—whether it’s moving a small piece of furniture, taking my bike, or packing for a long road trip. I appreciate a little flexibility to carry bulky items when I need to. I could either get a small car, with no real storage space, or an SUV, which is really too big for my day-to-day needs. A hatchback is a good middle ground. The body is small like a car, but the design lets me carry more than a typical small car. I got a Mazda3 hatchback, which is a great middle ground between a small car and an SUV. Hyundai, Ford, and Subaru also make good hatchbacks if you’re looking for a middle ground like that, too.

These are two examples where the middle ground represents the area between two extremes. It’s also common to describe “middle ground” when you’re talking about arguments or disagreements. This can be in a family or in your country’s legislature—doesn’t matter. One spouse might want to spend a week visiting his or her parents; the other spouse might not love that idea. So, the middle ground could be that they go for five days not seven, and they stay in a hotel rather than on the pull-out couch. That’s the middle ground. The one spouse gets to see their parents, the other gets a little relief from their in-laws at night.

When you’re seeking compromise, when you’re still trying to find out whether there is any space in between two opposites, you can say that you’re looking for the middle ground. As vaccination rates increase here, some businesses say, let’s party like it’s 2019: no need for masks or social distancing. Other businesses say, you still must wear a mask and keep your distance even if it’s not the law anymore. Still, others are looking for the middle ground. If a customer is wearing a mask voluntarily, some businesses will ask their employees to put a mask on while serving that customer. That’s a good middle ground between removing masks entirely and forcing everyone to wear them all the time.

In politics, it can be very hard to find the middle ground. In the age of social media and polarized opinions, people on opposite sides of the political spectrum don’t often agree on much. Two people who are always on TV criticizing each other can have a hard time finding a middle ground on anything.

JR’s song of the week

The moment you’ve been waiting all week for, JR’s song of the week. It’s called “Dreamers of the Shore” by the Volcan Peaks with Cody Francis. The lyrics talk about being on a boat and heading for shore, though I think it’s a metaphor for a relationship developing over the years. My favorite line is, “This vision that I saw is getting closer every dawn.” The song of the week is “Dreamers of the Shore” by the Volcan Peaks with Cody Francis.

See you next time!

And that’s all for Plain English lesson number 377 for today, Thursday, July 1, 2021.

You know, JR and I have had to find the middle ground sometimes. I suspect the middle is closer to him, but he probably thinks the middle is closer to me. Here’s an example. Every week, we post a discussion question for Plain English Plus+ members. This is a great way for the members to practice writing about English topics in a low-pressure way.

Anyway, JR is in charge of the Question of the Week. He picks the topic, writes the question, and moderates the discussion in our forums. I would like for JR to write four or five questions at once and schedule them for the next month or so. JR wants to write a question about whatever he’s in the mood for on a Sunday when the new questions come out.

So, we found a middle ground. JR writes two questions at a time, and he writes them usually on a Saturday, so we have them at least one day in advance. That’s a perfect middle ground. That way, our members get the best topics from JR’s imagination and I don’t feel like we’re always doing things at the last minute. There’s something for everyone!

If you’d like to practice writing in English, then you can do that in the discussion forums for Plain English Plus+ members, including the Question of the Week. We’ve talked about favorite holidays, what we listen to on the radio, how we celebrate our birthdays now, and how we used to celebrate them—all that and much more. New topics every week, and you can always jump in if you’re a Plain English Plus+ member. If you’re not, and if you’d like to join the conversation and practice your English writing, then come join us at PlainEnglish.com/Plus .