Zero Conditional

1. Introduction to Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences are statements that show a condition and its result. They tell us what happens when something happens. There are four main types of conditionals in English:

• 1. Zero Conditional: Facts and general truths (e.g., “If you heat water, it boils.”) 🌡️
• 2. First Conditional: Real situations in the future (e.g., “If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.”) 🌧️
• 3. Second Conditional: Imaginary or unlikely situations (e.g., “If I had a million dollars, I would travel.”) 💰
• 4. Third Conditional: Past situations that did not happen (e.g., “If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.”) 📚

2. Understanding the Zero Conditional

The zero conditional is used to express general truths, scientific facts, and regular situations that are always true when the condition is met.

A. Definition

Use the zero conditional for facts that are always true. The structure is:

If + present simple, present simple.

B. Examples of Zero Conditional

• 1. If you heat water to 100°C, it boils. 🔥
• 2. If it rains, the ground gets wet. 🌧️
• 3. If you freeze water, it becomes ice. ❄️
• 4. If you mix red and blue, you get purple. 🎨
• 5. If you drop an object, it falls to the ground. ⬇️
• 6. If you add sugar to tea, it sweetens. 🍵
• 7. If the sun shines, the day gets bright. ☀️
• 8. If you turn on the switch, the light comes on. 💡
• 9. If you heat metal, it expands. ⚙️
• 10. If you water plants, they grow. 🌱

3. Usage of the Zero Conditional

A. General Truths and Facts

Use the zero conditional to talk about facts that are always true.

• 1. If you mix blue and yellow, you get green. 🎨
• 2. If you don’t eat, you get hungry. 🍽️
• 3. If you boil water, it turns to steam. 💨
• 4. If it is cold, water freezes. ❄️
• 5. If you sleep, you feel rested. 😴
• 6. If you exercise, your heart beats faster. ❤️
• 7. If you study, you learn. 📚
• 8. If you breathe, you live. 🌬️
• 9. If you get sunlight, you get vitamin D. 🌞
• 10. If you look at the sky, you see stars at night. ⭐

B. Habits and Routines

The zero conditional can describe regular or habitual actions.

• 1. If I have a busy day, I drink coffee. ☕
• 2. If I wake up early, I go jogging. 🏃‍♂️
• 3. If it is morning, I brush my teeth. 🪥
• 4. If it’s a workday, I commute by bus. 🚌
• 5. If I finish work, I relax at home. 🏠
• 6. If I have free time, I read a book. 📖
• 7. If I feel tired, I take a nap. 😴
• 8. If it’s lunchtime, I eat. 🍽️
• 9. If I’m happy, I smile. 😊
• 10. If it’s evening, I watch TV. 📺

C. Instructions and Imperatives

We can also use the zero conditional to give instructions or commands.

Structure: If + present simple, imperative.

• 1. If the alarm rings, leave the building. 🚨
• 2. If the teacher speaks, listen carefully. 👂
• 3. If the door opens, enter quietly. 🚪
• 4. If the fire alarm sounds, evacuate immediately. 🔥
• 5. If you see a mistake, correct it. 📝
• 6. If the bell rings, start the class. 🔔
• 7. If the machine stops, call for help. 📞
• 8. If you feel sick, inform the nurse. 🏥
• 9. If your phone rings, answer it. 📱
• 10. If you finish the test, hand it in. ✍️

4. Forming Zero Conditional Sentences

A. Affirmative Sentences

These sentences state facts in a positive form.

• 1. If you freeze water, it becomes ice. ❄️
• 2. If it is sunny, the sky is blue. ☀️
• 3. If you heat metal, it expands. 🔥
• 4. If plants get water, they grow. 🌱
• 5. If you mix red and blue, you get purple. 🎨
• 6. If you add salt to water, it dissolves. 🧂
• 7. If you expose iron to water, it rusts. ⚙️
• 8. If you drop a ball, it bounces. 🏀
• 9. If you heat butter, it melts. 🧈
• 10. If you mix oil and water, they separate. 🌊

B. Negative Sentences

Use negatives to show that something does not happen.

• 1. If you don’t water plants, they die. 🚫🌱
• 2. If you don’t feed pets, they get hungry. 🐶
• 3. If you don’t sleep, you get tired. 😴
• 4. If it doesn’t rain, the garden dries. 🌵
• 5. If you don’t study, you do not learn. ❌📚
• 6. If you don’t eat, you feel weak. 🚫🍽️
• 7. If you don’t exercise, you lose strength. 🚫🏋️
• 8. If you don’t practice, you don’t improve. 🚫📖
• 9. If you don’t drink water, you get dehydrated. 🚱
• 10. If you don’t take medicine, you may not recover. ❌💊

C. Questions

Form questions to ask about a cause and its result.

• 1. What happens if you mix red and yellow? ❓
• 2. What happens if you heat ice? ❓
• 3. What happens if you add sugar to tea? ❓
• 4. What happens if you drop a glass? ❓
• 5. What happens if you water a cactus? ❓
• 6. What happens if you put salt in water? ❓
• 7. What happens if you shake soda? ❓
• 8. What happens if you leave milk out? ❓
• 9. What happens if you open a window in winter? ❓
• 10. What happens if you press this button? ❓

5. Variations in Zero Conditional

A. Using “When” Instead of “If”

In many cases, we can replace “if” with “when” without changing the meaning.

• 1. When you heat water, it boils. 🔥
• 2. When it rains, the street gets wet. 🌧️
• 3. When you freeze water, it turns to ice. ❄️
• 4. When the sun shines, the day is bright. ☀️
• 5. When you mix colors, you get new shades. 🎨
• 6. When you drop an egg, it cracks. 🥚
• 7. When the wind blows, the leaves move. 🍃
• 8. When you press a key, it types a letter. ⌨️
• 9. When snow falls, it covers the ground. ❄️
• 10. When you water a plant, it grows. 🌱

B. Modal Verbs in the Main Clause

Sometimes modals like “can” or “may” are used in the result clause to show possibility.

• 1. If you press this button, the alarm may sound. 🔔
• 2. If you press the switch, the light can turn on. 💡
• 3. If you study hard, you can succeed. 🏆
• 4. If you eat well, you may feel better. 🍽️
• 5. If you exercise, you can get fit. 💪
• 6. If you follow the rules, you can enter the contest. 🎫
• 7. If you ask for help, you may receive support. 🤝
• 8. If you practice, you can improve. 📖
• 9. If you listen, you may learn something. 👂
• 10. If you plan well, you can achieve your goals. 🎯

6. Common Mistakes and Clarifications

A. Confusing Zero and First Conditionals

Remember that the zero conditional is used for general truths, while the first conditional is for future situations that might happen.

• 1. Zero: If you heat metal, it expands. 🔥 / First: If you heat that metal, it will expand. 🔥➡️
• 2. Zero: If you mix red and blue, you get purple. 🎨 / First: If you mix red and blue, you will get a color. 🎨➡️
• 3. Zero: If you drop a ball, it bounces. 🏀 / First: If you drop a ball, it will bounce. 🏀➡️
• 4. Zero: If it rains, the ground gets wet. 🌧️ / First: If it rains, the ground will get wet. 🌧️➡️
• 5. Zero: If you add sugar, tea becomes sweet. 🍵 / First: If you add sugar, tea will become sweet. 🍵➡️
• 6. Zero: If you heat water, it boils. 🔥 / First: If you heat water, it will boil. 🔥➡️
• 7. Zero: If you press a button, the machine works. 🔘 / First: If you press a button, the machine will work. 🔘➡️
• 8. Zero: If plants get water, they grow. 🌱 / First: If plants get water, they will grow. 🌱➡️
• 9. Zero: If you study, you learn. 📚 / First: If you study, you will learn. 📚➡️
• 10. Zero: If you sleep, you rest. 😴 / First: If you sleep, you will rest. 😴➡️

B. Tense Consistency

In zero conditional sentences, we use the present simple tense in both the if-clause and the main clause.

• 1. If you heat water, it boils. 🔥
• 2. If it rains, the ground gets wet. 🌧️
• 3. If you freeze water, it turns into ice. ❄️
• 4. If you mix yellow and blue, you get green. 🌈
• 5. If the sun shines, the day becomes bright. ☀️
• 6. If you water plants, they grow. 🌱
• 7. If you study, you learn. 📚
• 8. If you exercise, your heart beats faster. ❤️
• 9. If you eat, you get energy. 🍽️
• 10. If you drive carefully, you stay safe. 🚗