The zero conditional
THE FOUR CONDITIONALS:Each conditional sentence has an 'if clause' and a 'main clause'. With all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.
If I practice, I will get better.
I will get better if I practise.
1. THE ZERO CONDITIONAL
A zero conditional sentence consists of two present simple verbs. One is inn the ‘if clause’, and one is in the ‘main clause’. Both parts of the sentence are in the simple present tense.
Zero Conditional: time = now/always, situation = general truths
If + present simple, ...present simple.
If this thing happens, that thing happens.
We use the zero conditional when, in general, there is a guaranteed result, like scientific facts. The most important thing to note is that zero conditionals are about conditions which are generally true, NOT about conditions on specific occasions.
Zero conditionals have the following characteristics:
• You can usually replace the ‘if’ with ‘when’ or ‘whenever’ without changing the meaning.
• When I am happy, I smile.
When we use the word 'you' in zero conditionals, it often refers to people in general, not somebody in particular.
If you don’t eat enough, you lose weight.
Examples:
If I am sad, I eat chocolate
People die if they don’t drink enough water.
If dogs get angry, they growl.
If you melt ice, it becomes a liquid.
If British people are bored, they talk about the weather.
It is also often used to give instructions, with the imperative in the main clause.
If she rings the doorbell, tell her to go away!
Text me if you get lost!
The third conditional
Jun 20, 2023
The second conditional
Jun 19, 2023
The first conditional
Jun 18, 2023
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