There are four common conditional forms. To improve your English skills, you need to learn them all. In this post, we will discuss the conditional form for talking about facts.
Use the zero conditional to talk about something that is always true. For example:
1. If you heat ice, it melts.
2. He drives to work when it rains.
If you heat ice, it melts.
All conditional forms have two clauses, the conditional clause and the result clause. In the examples above, the conditional clauses are the parts in bold font.
Basically, the zero conditional says: If A is true, then B is true.
To form the zero conditional, follow these structures:
1. If you heat ice, it melts.
[If or When + simple present], [simple present].
2. He drives to work when it rains.
[Simple present] [if or when + simple present].
Using the zero conditional
The zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world. It is also used to refer to general truths, like scientific facts.
1. If you mix blue paint and yellow paint, you get green paint.
2. When the sun goes down, it gets dark.
3. If water reaches 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
You can also use the zero conditional to give instructions.
1. If Ryan calls, tell him I’m in a meeting.
2. Meet us at the restaurant if you arrive early.
3. If you have any questions, ask Emily.
We’ll discuss the three other conditional forms in our next blog posts. In the meantime, remember how to form the zero conditional and practice using it whenever you can.
Now, try it out! Complete the following statements. Make sure to use the zero conditional!
1. If plants do not get enough water, __________.
2. If I eat too much, __________.
3. __________ if I arrive at work late.
4. __________ when I cook dinner.
5. If you get lost, __________.
If you want to learn more about the conditional forms, schedule a lesson with us. Our online English teachers can help you practice using the different conditional forms in fun conversational English lessons.
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