Zero and First Conditional

1. Conditional sentences express a result of an action. They usually have an “if” clause
and a result clause.
“If” clause (the condition) result clause (the effect/consequence)
If I eat dinner at home I don’t eat too much
If they speak Dutch to the taxi driver He won’t understand
If I wake up early in the morning I arrive to work on time
Examples:
• Water Freezes If you decrease its temperature below 0 degrees.
• She goes on vacation in August if she doesn’t have much work.
• He runs in the park if the weather is good.

2. ZERO CONDITIONAL:
Use the simple present tense to talk about general and scientific facts. You can use the
simple present tense or the present tense with verb to-be in both clauses. (cause and
effect)
EXAMPLE:
• If it rains, We have to take an umbrella (general fact)
• If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. (scientific fact)
FIRST CONDITIONAL
• Use the simple present tense in the “IF” CLAUSE AND THE SIMPLE FUTURE WITH
(WILL OR BE GOING TO) in the result clause.
• Use simple future to talk about what will happen in the future under certain conditions.
ZERO AND FIRST CONDITIONAL

3. BE CAREFUL
Use the simple present tense in the “IF” CLAUSE AND THE SIMPLE FUTURE WITH (WILL OR BE GOING
TO) in the result clause.
• If I go to sleep too late tonight, I won’t be able to get up on time (future result)
• If she comes home after 8:00, I’m going to make dinner.
• If he eats all the chili, he will get a terrible stomachache.
Don’t forget that the clause “IF” can go in the second part of the whole clause, for instance:
I WILL GO TO THE MOVIES IF HE CALLS ME TODAY
OR
IF HE CALLS ME TODAY, I WILL GO TO THE MOVIES.
Pay attention to the requirement that the use of “will” has, It only goes in the result clause not with the “if
“clause.

4. If you notice, in written
form when using the “if”
clause first, the second
or result clause goes
after a comma (,)
PAST:
a few years ago
in the past
in the last century
in the 1990s.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
PRESENT:
These days
Today
Nowadays
This year
This month
It’s your decision the order
you prefer. The most important
thing is to practice and use
CONDITIONALS…
FUTURE:
Soon
In twenty years
In the future
Next week
In a year
tomorrow
tonight