20 Examples of Conditional 0 (zero conditional)

Conditionals

The English language has, like Spanish, a very particular treatment of situations that appear as contingent or potential, specifying in particular a different time for each of the different cases of veracity or probability of occurrence of an event, as well as the position of the speaker in relation to the event that raises the possibility.

Types of conditionals

In general, three types of conditionals equivalent to those of the Spanish language are mentioned:

• The First: poses possible situations.
• The second: poses hypothetical situations;
• The third: it speaks counterfactually of hypothetical situations of the past.

Conditional zero

There is one more type of conditional, correctly called ‘zero conditional’ (Zero conditional).

With the name of zero conditional I know recognizes the structure that poses a possibility of which the same consequence is always recognized. That is to say, to the prayer that affirms a truthful and effective fact, but instead of posing it as a generality, it poses it as a single resolution condition.

This type of conditional is commonly used in a oral communication context and as an exemplary resource since, as said, it can always be replaced by a generalization that includes the case that is being talked about and also many others.

It gives a practical nuance to a sentence that states something that will be repeated in any case.

Structure of the zero conditional

The structure of the zero conditional is very simple and can be easily deduced: when dealing with generalizable situations, it is sensible to use the present simple omitting the expression ‘always’ (always).

It results from a combination of condition and consequence, linked by the 'if' particle and potentially by the expression 'then', which means 'then'.

It is easily translatable into Spanish and, as in that language, this type of conditional can be expressed in the following ways:

1. ‘Condition - if - result’
2. ‘Result - if - condition’
3. ‘If - condition - (then) - result’

The use of "When"

This multiplicity of ways of organizing the conditional structure is replicated in all conditionals in the English language. It is also common to use the zero conditional with the expression 'When' (when), because what is being done is establish a general, reproducible law, saying that when a certain event occurs, then another will occur.

See also: Examples of Sentences with When in English

Differences with the first conditional

Whoever has the first approach to this type of conditional, runs the risk of confusing it with the first of the others, the first conditional, well both use the present simple as well as they are characterized by posing situations that are not potential but are feasible.

The central point, which must be remembered, is that the first conditionalaffirms a particular situation in which the conditional fact occurs, while the zero conditional generalizes it and he claims that when something happens, something else will immediately drop out of it.

Examples of sentences in the conditional zero

To exemplify the applications of the zero conditional, we will see some examples of its use:

1. If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. (If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils)
2. If public transport is efficient, people stop using their cars. (If public transportation is efficient, people stop using their cars)
3. If you cross the line, you are in our country. (If you cross the line, you are in our country)
4. If children study, then their parents are happy. (If children study, their parents are happy)
5. Plants die if they don't get enough water. (Plants die if they get enough water)
6. Pitagoras said that if you add the squares of the legs you get the square of the hypotenuse of a triangle. (Pythagoras said that if you add the square of the sides then you get the square of the hypotenuse of a triangle)
7. If you mix red and blue, you get purple. (If you mix red and blue, you get violet)
8. If I run, I get tired. (If I run, I get tired)
9. If the match starts at time, people stop complaining. (If the game starts on time, people stop complaining)
10. If you press that button, the light comes on. (If you press that button, the light turns on)
11. An ice cube melts if you put it in the sun. (An ice cube melts if you put it in the sun)
12. If you take the street on the right, it's quicker. (If you turn right on the street, it's faster)
13. My teacher gets angry if I don't study. (My teacher gets furious if she doesn't study)
14. We don't go if there aren't good music. (We don't go if there is no good music)
15. If she sleeps well, she rests. (If she sleeps well, she rests)
16. If I am late, my father takes me to school. (If it's late, my father takes me to school)
17. They play football if they don't have any homework. (They play soccer if they don't have homework)
18. When I talk to my mum, I feel homesick. (When I speak to my mother, I miss my home)
19. If I don't know a word, I look it up in my dictionary. (If she doesn't know a word, she looks it up in my dictionary)
20. If you cross an international date line, the time changes. (If you cross an international time zone, the time changes)

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