Today, I'm going to talk to you about the zero conditional.
They're basically "if" statements.
Now, before we begin this super, awesome, amazing,
and incredible grammar lesson, I want to remind you to
join our social media classes because it's another great way to practice your English.
In this lesson, I want to talk to you about zero conditionals,
which are basically "if" statements.
Now, an "if" statement has two parts.
It has a condition and a result.
The condition is going to be your "if" clause.
It has a subject and a verb but it is not a full sentence.
It's not a complete thought.
So for example, if I say...
Does that mean anything to you? No.
It's not a complete thought.
If I say this, you'll just be like well...
What? What? I need to know more. What...what happens if you use the bathroom?
And that is the result.
So we need the result to complete the sentence, and this is our main clause.
Now the result, the main clause, it also has a subject and a verb.
But the main clause could stand alone as its own sentence.
So let's complete the sentence with the result. So I would say...
Now, this is the zero conditional because it's talking about a general truth.
And I hope you believe me when I say that. It's true.
I do. I wash my hands.
Now notice that with the zero conditional both
the condition and the result are in the present simple.
So when we use the zero conditional to talk about a
general truth, we're using the present simple in both the condition and the result.
And this is a rule, and it makes perfect sense.
Why? Because we're talking about routines, habits,
rituals that we do on a daily basis.
It's a general truth.
Also, pay close attention to the punctuation that we're using.
So if our condition, our "if" clause comes first, then we
need a comma to separate the "if" clause from the main clause.
Now if we switch these around, the comma disappears.
If the main clause is first, then you don't need a comma.
No comma.
So when we're talking about the zero conditional,
if the first word of the sentence is "if," then you're going to need a comma.
Let's look at a couple of other examples of some general truths.
So who knows. Perhaps this is a general truth and someone is allergic to tomatoes.
But remember both the condition and the result use the present simple.
Here's another general truth.
Now notice in this sentence, our main clause (our result) comes first.
So there is no comma.
We also use the zero conditional to say scientific facts.
Present simple. Present simple.
And a comma separating the condition from the result.
In this sentence, our result (water boils) comes before the condition, so there is no comma.
We can make another sentence with this video and say...
Now, this is not a scientific fact. It is my opinion.
But even though it is my opinion, it's still a general truth.
It is a general truth for me.
And yeah, it's true. If you boil broccoli, I do, I think it tastes terrible.
Let's see how else the zero conditional is used in context.
If someone doesn't treat you the way you deserve, then they don't deserve to have you.
If it hits you, is it my point or yours?
If the machine breaks down, we break down.
If the water bill is too high, we all get grounded.
If that boy is still walking, it's because you let him go.
Now, it is time to practice.
In the comments, I want you to write a sentence using the zero conditional.
Now you can write something that is a general truth.
Or you could write a scientific fact.
Just remember the rules.
Both the condition and the result need to be in the present simple.
If the condition comes before the result, please don't forget the comma.
I will look through your sentences, and I will give you some feedback.
It's a general truth.
As well as a sentence using the zero conditional
Thanks for watching. Please give this video a thumbs up
if you feel a little more comfortable using the zero conditional.
Make sure that you practice using it, and we will see you next time.