Zero Conditional
Use the zero conditional for facts and things that are always true — when one thing happens, the result always follows.
Level B1
Conditionals
Summary
- Use the zero conditional for facts and things that are always true — when one thing happens, the result always follows.
Structure
if/when + present simple, ... present simple
Examples
- If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
- When the sun goes down, it gets cold.
- Plants die if they don't get water.
- If you press this button, the machine starts.
Common mistakes
- • Don't use 'will' here; this is about general truths: NOT 'If you heat ice, it will melt' → 'it melts.'
Related
More conditionals
First Conditional
B1
Use the first conditional for real or likely situations in the future and their probable results.
Second Conditional
B2
Use the second conditional for unreal, hypothetical, or unlikely situations in the present or future, and their imagined results.
Third Conditional
B2
Use the third conditional to talk about imagined past situations that did not happen, and to express regret or criticism about the past.
Mixed Conditional
C1
Use a mixed conditional when the time of the condition and the time of the result are different — for example, a past condition with a present result, or a present condition with a past result.