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
