{"id":50727,"date":"2019-09-17T01:15:37","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T01:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/aee\/aee-1227-be-a-hero-use-the-zero-conditional\/"},"modified":"2023-04-25T15:44:35","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T15:44:35","slug":"aee-1227-be-a-hero-use-the-zero-conditional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-1227-be-a-hero-use-the-zero-conditional\/","title":{"rendered":"AEE 1227: Be a Hero: Use the Zero…Conditional!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Do you know how to use the \u201czero conditional\u201d in English?<\/p>\n

You may not have heard of the zero conditional in English, as it is a grammar-based sentence structure.<\/p>\n

It may help to see this in the form of an example so let\u2019s take a look at this one:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I don\u2019t eat every 3 or 4 hours, I get really grumpy!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve talked about other conditionals<\/a> and so to wrap up this series we\u2019re looking at the zero conditional.<\/p>\n

This is a conditional based on truths, and that\u2019s the important thing to remember here.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to look at this conditional, how it is based upon truths, how this works in conversation, and why it matters. <\/p>\n

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Looking At This Type of Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have done episodes about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conditional and so we\u2019re going to look at the zero conditional now.<\/p>\n

Here is the example again: \u201cIf I don\u2019t eat every 3 or 4 hours, I get really grumpy.\u201d <\/p>\n

In this statement, you are telling something that is true and factual.<\/p>\n

IF the first situation happens, then the other will generally happen. <\/p>\n

This conditional is about truth, and it is an outcome of the first thing happening.<\/p>\n

This can be about things that are generally true or even scientific facts.<\/p>\n

There is evidence or truth and therefore one will cause the other to automatically happen. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Looking At The Grammar of This<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the grammar structure.<\/p>\n

This may seem overwhelming at first, but it\u2019s easy enough if you break it down to really understand it.<\/p>\n

If clause, and then main clause are both in present simple.<\/p>\n

You can replace \u201cif\u201d with \u201cwhen\u201d in these sentences and you\u2019ll be just fine.<\/p>\n

So you could say \u201cWhen I don\u2019t eat every 3 or 4 hours, I get really grumpy.\u201d<\/p>\n

You might find that you generally use \u201cif\u201d more than \u201cwhen\u201d in these sentences, but it\u2019s something to experiment with.<\/p>\n

This is all about grammar and word choice, and it plays a very important part in your conversations.<\/p>\n

This is a conditional that you will likely use a lot, and now you may be much more in tune to it.<\/p>\n

When you start to understand the grammar structure, you really pick up on it in conversation more.<\/p>\n

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Some Good Examples To Demonstrate<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are examples of this conditional all around you. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a matter of looking at what the truths are and then using these to illustrate your point.<\/p>\n

There are examples of this if you look around and figure out how this conditional applies.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at some examples of this in everyday life:<\/p>\n