Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Grammar – 0 (Zero) Conditional
The result [I get sick] is always true of the condition [if I eat too much]. It is a fact! There is a fixed connection between the two events.
The zero conditional form:
This conditional is easy because you don’t have to remember which clause goes where or which verb tense is used, you just have to remember:
Example sentences:
Ice melts if you heat it.
If I drink, I never drive.
It’s bad luck if the groom sees the bride before the wedding!
If the banana is yellow, it is ripe and ready to eat!
If you’re happy, I’m happy!
I ask for directions if I get lost.
I don’t let a cold stop me! I still go to work if I get sick.
If I don’t sleep well, I am really cranky in the morning.
*You can also use modals in the result clause:
I can’t drive if I don’t have my glasses.
If you want to go to university, you must study hard.
If you want to lose weight, you should eat less and exercise more.
You can’t drive a car if you don’t have a license.
*You can also use the imperative in the result clause
If you drink, don’t drive.
Please don’t disturb me if I am asleep!
If you’re hungry, eat something!
*When can be used instead of if:
When I cook fish, the house always smells.
I always smoke when I drink.
When I go to the movies, I eat a bag of popcorn.
When it rains, it pours! [English proverb]
When I’m sad, I go shopping.
I listen to my ipod when I jog.
*Unless can also be used instead of if not:
I can’t drive unless I have my glasses.
[I can’t drive if I don’t have my glasses.]
You can’t drive a car unless you have a license.
[You can’t drive a car if you don’t have a license.]
*You can also think of the zero conditional this way:
In the if clause, you can use the present continuous tense:
If I am driving, I never answer my cell phone.
When I’m reading, my cat sits on my lap.
I listen to my ipod when I’m jogging.
Please don’t disturb me if I am sleeping!
If you have trouble with conditional sentences, please read Conditional Sentences: An Introduction
6 comments:
Jessica Ojeda said…
If you want to improve your English, you must study. 🙂
This is one of the best explanations of the zero conditional. Thank you Melanie for putting this great lesson together.
Teacher Melanie said…
Hi, Jessica!
That’s a great conditional sentence! Thank you for your very kind comment. : )
peter said…
Hello Melanie, thanks for the detailed explanation. I have one issue about the use of conditionals.
I observe that legal texts likes using conditionals to talk about legal rules, but sometimes, they use “will” in result-clauses. For example:
“A defendant who counterclaims becomes a plaintiff and may apply for summary or default judgment on the counterclaim. However, the Court will not deal with a counterclaim in the main action if it cannot conveniently be disposed of in that way.”
My issue is that legal rules are rules, and so when a condition is met, the result for it always occurs, and so they should be of zero conditional, but why the above example legal rule contains a “will” in its result clause which suggests that it is of first conditional?
Teacher Melanie said…
Hello Peter!
Hmmm … yours is an interesting question. I don’t read a lot of legal texts, but I suspect the answer to your question is that the situation has not happened yet.
“A defendant who counterclaims becomes a plaintiff and may apply for summary or default judgment on the counterclaim.” —> This has not actually happened yet. If this does happen, then “the Court will not deal with a counterclaim in the main action if it cannot conveniently be disposed of in that way.”
I see your point. The legal text could have also said: “the Court DOESN’T deal with a counterclaim in the main action if it cannot conveniently be disposed of in that way”
The only other thing I can think of is that legal texts are often more formal than general English & don’t always follow the same grammar rules.
I hope this helps!
peter said…
Hello Teacher Melanie, many thanks for your help!
Your analysis may have solved the issue in my mind.
First, the author intends to state a legal rule:-
“A defendant who counterclaims becomes a plaintiff and may apply for summary or default judgment on the counterclaim” (“RULE 1”).
Thus, RULE 1 is in the present simple, referring to all the time.
Then the author intends to introduce another rule by assuming that the situation in RULE 1 will happen (in the present or future) and then talking about a result for the situation:-
If RULE 1 happens, then “the Court will not deal with a counterclaim in the main action if it cannot conveniently be disposed of in that way.”
Thus, it is in the form of the first conditional, containing a “will”.
I think this depends on what a presentation approach an author adopts. I have found another similar example as follows:-
“The review application can only be made to the original magistrate, so if the magistrate is out of the country at the time, an application for review can be made, but will not be heard until the magistrate returns from vacation.”
Please correct my above analysis if it is wrong. Thank 🙂
P.S.:-
I have noted that “will” with a 3rd person subject can refer to general truth. For example:- “The sun will rise from the east”. But I don’t think that this use is popular among the first conditional.
Teacher Melanie said…
Hi, Peter!
I don’t quite understand all the ‘legalese’ [legal writing] but your analysis is correct!
Obviously you are studying law right now. Are you studying at an English-speaking law school? That must be quite stressful.
Kind regards,
Melanie
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