蜜芽传媒 World Service | Learning English | The Flatmates


You are in:	> The Flatmates

Learning English - The Flatmates

蜜芽传媒page

Language Point

Quiz

Talk

The zero conditional

A conditional is used to talk about a possible or imaginary situation (the condition) and the consequences (or the result) of it.

We use the zero conditional to talk about something that will always happen (the result), if or when a particular condition is met.

Alice uses the zero conditional to tell Paul that whenever he next needs a babysitter in the future (the condition), he will always have to find someone other than Alice to help him (the result).

Next time you need a babysitter, find some other mug!
When it's 7.30, you go to bed Ellie.
If there's an emergency, Paul always helps at the hospital.

So, the meaning is that if the condition is met, then the result will always happen.

The zero conditional is made up of the condition (the 'if/when/next time' part of the sentence) and the consequence or the result.

The Condition

The consequence or result

If + present simple,

present simple

Next time you need a babysitter,
When you shop online,
If you heat ice,

find some other mug.
you get a 10% discount.
it melts.

Note:
There is always a comma (,) between the two parts of the zero conditional, when we start with the 'if' part:

Next time you need a babysitter, find some other mug!
When it's 7.30, you go to bed Ellie.
If there's an emergency, Paul always helps at the hospital.

But when we start with the result part of the conditional, we don't need a comma:
Find some other mug next time you need a babysitter.
You go to bed when it's 7.30.
Paul always helps if there's an emergency.

If and when or whenever mean the same thing in the zero conditional.

If it rains, she takes the bus = When it rains, she takes the bus.
Whenever he sees a spider, he screams. = If he sees a spider, he screams.

The zero conditional talks about things that are always true. Although it uses the present simple form, it doesn't refer only to the present, it refers to all time.

When you go to university, you need to work hard.
Whenever I call him, he's never there.

casualties
people who are injured or killed in a serious accident or war

so-so (informal)
not very good or well

spoiled
someone who does exactly what s/he wants to do and is selfish and doesn't care or respect other people

brat (informal)
a child who behaves badly or rudely

a temper tantrum
behaving in a rude way because you don't get the things you want

a mug (informal)
a stupid person