Zero Conditional in English Grammar l with Subtitles and FREE Worksheet

What are conditionals? Sometimes  we call conditionals if clauses.  

A clause is like a part of a sentence right. So, conditionals  

describe the result of something that might  happen in the present or future or might  

have happened but didn't in the past. If  that sounds a little confusing don't worry,  

we're gonna talk about it all today. So,  conditionals are made using different English  

verb tenses and we're going to learn all about it. So, let's start with our zero conditional. So,  

zero conditional, this is used to talk  about general facts and truths. So,  

things that are true. So, let's take a look at some examples. What does this mean?  

So, in conditionals we have our if clause  and our main clause to make our whole  

sentence. So, for zero conditionals  using the simple present tense talking 

about facts. Things that are generally true. So,  we use if and simple present and our main clause 

is also simple present. So,  zero conditional basically:  

If this thing happens that thing  happens. This is used to talk about 

true things. For example, I might say if you heat  water to one hundred degrees Celsius, it boils. We  

can see here in this example I'm using simple  present. If you heat, it boils. And I'm just 

sharing a general fact right. If you do this, this  happens. If you heat water to one hundred degrees  

Celsius, it boils. If it rains the road gets wet,  right. Just a simple fact. If this thing happens,  

if our condition it rains, if it rains the road gets wet. Simple fact,  

just something that is true.  So, we use our zero conditional 

to talk about general truths and facts. Let's  look at some more examples. So, here's another 

example. In this case we are using a negative:  If plants don't get enough water, they die.  

So here we're using again, simple present. If plants don't get enough water,  

they die Sad but true. I have many plants, so i  know this all too well. So, one thing to note,  

and we're going to see this for all our conditional types, often we have our if clause  

and then our main clause. If this, then that. However, we can also switch it around: plants  

die if they don't get enough water. So here, we have our main clause and then our “if this” is  

also correct. So, both of these we can use.  So, if it's easier for you to remember the  

if then, you can do that, but just  know you can also switch them: 

if plants don't get enough water, they die.  Or plants die if they don't get enough water.  

Let's look at a couple more zero conditional  examples: if my husband has a cold,  

I usually catch it. So, here again we're  just using simple present and we're using  

an adverb a frequency, which we Always use with simple present. And again, we can also  

switch our clauses here: if clause and main  clause we can switch. I usually catch a cold  

if my husband gets sick. Okay let's get one more. So,  

zero conditional is used to talk about  simple truth things, right? If plants 

don't get water, they die. If you heat water to  one hundred degrees Celsius, it boils. Simple true 

facts, but we can also use zero conditional to  give instructions. So, let's take a look at a 

couple examples: if you want to see a movie  called me before five pm. Maybe I am talking  

to my friend and they're saying: I don't know if  I want to see a movie. I have so much work to do.  

I might say okay. well if you want to see a  movie call me before five, then we can go.  

Or another example: If john calls, tell him  I'm busy. So, here we have our condition  

and then our main clause is an  instruction right. Do this thing, if this 

happens do this thing. And in this case, we're  also using simple present, simple present.  

So, that's that's it four zero conditional.  We use it for true facts, simple true things. 

Simple present, simple present, and we  can also use it to give instructions.