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Zero conditional: If you heat ice, it melts
A2 A2 grammar · lesson 21 of 25
The zero conditional talks about things that are always true: facts, science and general habits. It is the simplest conditional in English.
Form
If + present simple, present simple. Both parts use the present simple.
| If clause | Main clause |
|---|---|
| If you heat ice, | it melts. |
| If you mix red and blue, | you get purple. |
| If I drink coffee at night, | I don’t sleep well. |
We can also use when instead of if, because the result always happens: When water boils, it turns into steam.
Use
Use the zero conditional for facts and things that always happen as a result of something. It is not about one special time.
If you don’t water plants, they die.
If it rains, the streets get wet.
Water boils if you heat it to 100 °C.
If Tom feels tired, he goes to bed early.
If you press this button, the machine stops.
When I go to work by bike, I arrive early.
If babies are hungry, they cry.
Zero or first conditional?
| Zero conditional | First conditional |
|---|---|
| always true / every time | one possible future situation |
| If it rains, the grass grows. | If it rains tomorrow, I‘ll take an umbrella. |
Common mistakes
✗ If you heat ice, it will melts.
✓ If you heat ice, it melts.
✗ If you will mix yellow and blue, you get green.
✓ If you mix yellow and blue, you get green.
✗ If it rain, the roads get wet.
✓ If it rains, the roads get wet.