Zero Conditional: The Always Rule
The zero conditional is the always rule: if you heat ice, it melts. Facts, routines and instructions — cause and result, every single time.
Zero Conditional
The always rule
The zero conditional says what always happens: one thing, then the other, every single time. No maybes, no plans — just the rule of nature, routine, and instruction.
General truths
facts of nature and scienceIf you heat ice, it melts
Routines
your personal alwaysIf I drink coffee at night, I don't sleep
Instructions
the rule of thumbIf it rains, take an umbrella
Both orders work
result-first is fine tooIce melts if you heat it
⚠️ If + present, present. Always true, always the same.
The Formula
if + present → present
Both halves of the zero conditional stay in the present simple. The condition happens, and the result follows — every time.
⚠️ Present in both halves — no will, no would. Just the rule.
Common Mistakes
Four always-rule slips
The always rule breaks when will sneaks into a fact, when the third-person -s goes missing, or when the two halves pick different tenses.
If it will rain, the ground gets wet.
If it rains, the ground gets wet.
💡 The zero conditional stays in the present — no will.
If you heat ice, it melt.
If you heat ice, it melts.
💡 Present simple needs its -s: it melts.
If I am late, my boss was angry.
If I am late, my boss is angry.
💡 Both halves are present — the rule is timeless.
Water freezes if it will be cold.
Water freezes if it is cold.
💡 A fact takes the present, not will.
Quick Quiz
Test what you just learned
Three minutes, five questions — check what stuck. No essay questions, we promise.
If you ___ ice, it melts.
💡 Info supplémentaire2 sections
If and When
Maybe or certain?
If and when are twins in the zero conditional — but they are not identical.
⚠️ If = maybe. When = certain. Unless = if not.
Always True or One-Time?
The zero vs the plan
The zero conditional is the always rule. But what if the result is a one-time plan? That is the first conditional — the next lesson.