The under appreciated zero conditional. Everybody thinks it's so easy and it can
be but it can also be much more difficult
than you might think. My name is Toby, this is SMASH English and here is
everything you need to know (and i mean everything you need to know) about the
zero conditional for the B2 First Cambridge
exam.
Let's start with the basics, the very basics!
But trust me, it gets more complicated and you will be amazed. Amazed!
Or you will turn off your computer or turn off your telephone,
you will never watch another SMASH English video, you will never study
English again, you will say "why is english so confusing!?",
and you will quit... Here is a zero conditional. The most boring
zero conditional in the world that every teacher
uses: if water is 100 degrees it boils. Whoa!
We use zero conditionals to talk about automatic,
fixed or habitual results. Results which are always true. Water
always, always, ALWAYS boils at 100 degrees and so we use a
zero conditional to express this, because it's always true! The grammar
then is if + present simple plus
+ present simple.
It's really boring! Most lessons
on the zero conditional stop at this point,
but not this one! Let's make things a little more difficult...
We can use any present tense with a zero conditional. Any present
tense! The most important thing is that both clauses are a present tense: the
if clause and the result clause. For example: we could use the present
continuous: If I am having a shower I listen to
music. If i'm feeling sad I don't talk to people. And we can use the
present perfect: if I have had a busy day I sleep better. If I've had an
argument with someone I don't talk to them for a very
long time. These things are always true: in the past in the present and
in the future, so it is still a zero conditional
even though we are not using only the present
simple.
We can also replace "if" with "when" or to make things more complicated
more B2 we can replace "when" with "whenever". Whenever
just means every time. Whenever water is a hundred degrees it boils.
Whenever I'm having a shower I listen to music. Whenever I have had a busy day I
sleep better.
If you want you can put the main clause, the result clause, first and the
if clause second. This does not change the meaning. Okay, simple enough.
Let's make things even more difficult.
We can also replace "if" with "in case" but this changes the meaning.
Let's look at some examples: if it rains I bring an
umbrella with me. This means when I see that it is raining outside
I bring my umbrella. In case it rains I bring an umbrella with me. This means
that I bring my umbrella outside with me
all the time because there is a possibility
that it could rain. If you see me outside I have my umbrella because in my head
I'm thinking: it might rain, it might rain, it might
rain! Another example: if the weather is hot I
wear sun cream. I am a sensible person and I only wear sun cream when the
weather is hot. I wear sun cream in case the weather
is hot. This means I don't know if the weather
is hot. I'm at home, I put on my sun cream, I
don't know what the weather is like but I'm worried that it might be hot. I'm
preparing for a possibility, and I do this
all the time. Here are some more examples: I bring my phone with me everywhere in
case there is an emergency. I save my work regularly in case my
computer crashes.
We can also replace "if" with "unless" and this also changes the meaning. Unless
means "but not if". For example:
I always wear shorts unless the weather is cold. This means I don't
wear shorts if the weather is cold. I study every night
unless I am tired. This means I don't study when I am tired. I sleep
terribly unless I have had a busy day. This means if I have had a busy day
I don't sleep terribly, I sleep very well.
We can replace the main clause with an imperative to give instructions or
rules. For example: if you need anything call me or if he bothers you
ignore him.
We can use the modal verbs can, could, must, should to talk about necessity
ability or permission. For example: if you are
diabetic you mustn't forget your insulin.
Again: zero conditional because this is always
true. In England you cannot drink unless you are over the age of 18.
If you get stuck you should ask for help. And the most important one: if
you can you should subscribe to SMASH English!
Like this video and comment down below! Why not practice your zero conditionals?
If you make any mistakes i will tell you correct you, you will
learn, I'll get a comment, you'll get advice... Wow! Everyone wins in
that situation, don't they? But I said at the beginning
of this video that I would give you some information
that would amaze you! That would change your perspective of
English and make you question the very foundations of your
knowledge! So let's do that now! What type of
conditional is this? If I was late
my boss would be angry. Hmm... It's obvious right?
It's the second conditional, yes? No... it has all the components of a second
conditional and grammatically it's the same as a
second conditional... but actually it's a zero conditional.
Oh my goodness! I cannot believe it! Toby, how is this so! You told us that
a zero conditional must have a present tense in both
clauses!? I'm so confused! Well, actually we can use a past tense
in both clauses of a zero conditional. This is to talk about things that were
always true but are not true now. To make it more
obvious in a zero conditional even when we are talking about the past
we can replace "if" with "when". When I was late my boss would be angry.
We cannot do that with a second conditional.
Also when we use a zero conditional to talk about the past
we cannot use the subjunctive "were". "If i were late my boss would be angry"
that's a second conditional. If I was late my boss would be angry.
That's a second or a zero conditional. It depends on the context. Now let's look
at that "would". we use "would" in the result clause of
a second conditional, right. So why is it in this
zero conditional. Well here we are using would in the sense of "used
to". We're talking about a past habit, a past routine,
or a past state. If you want to know more about using
"would" and "used to" and the differences between them
(like the zero conditional it's more complicated than you
think) I have a video on that that. It is fantastic
and you should definitely watch it! It'll be fun!
So "if I was late my boss would be angry" means in the past every time that I was
late my boss became angry.
We're talking about something that was always true in the past
that is not true now. Here are some more examples: If i didn't do my homework
I got into trouble. I used to bring my umbrella out with me every day in case
it rained. This means in the past I always brought
my umbrella with me but now I don't but in the past it was
always true so we use a zero conditional. And with that we are
finished. Now you definitely know all you need to
know about the zero conditional for the B2
First Cambridge exam. If you liked the video don't forget
to SMASH that like button, subscribe if you haven't already, leave a comment
down below. My name is Toby and this was SMASH English...
you