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Using the zero conditional English grammar tense is a good way to improve your English, make longer sentences, and speak more like a native.

How do you form the zero conditional tense in English?

It requires us to construct a sentence in\xa0two parts.

We can make a zero conditional sentence with two\xa0present simple verbs \u2014 one in the \u2018if clause\u2019 and one in the \u2018main clause\u2019:

• If / when + present simple base verb, \u2026. present simple base verb.

You can also think of it this way:

\u2014 IF this, THEN that.

This tense is used when the result will generally always happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It\u2019s a fact. The result of the \u2018if clause\u2019 is always the main clause.

However, we can create sentences in either order:

\u2014 If + present simple, \u2026 present simple OR

\u2014 Present simple\u2026 if + present simple.

Notice in the second example, we don\u2019t need a comma to separate the two parts of the sentence but in the first one we do.

The \u2018if\u2019 in this conditional can usually be replaced by \u2018when\u2019 without changing the meaning.

For example: If water\xa0reaches\xa0100 degrees, it\xa0boils. (It is always true, there can\u2019t be a different result sometimes). If I\xa0drink\xa0milk, I\xa0feel\xa0very sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it\u2019s still true that I\u2019m sick every time I drink milk).

Also, here are some more examples of the zero conditional English grammar tense:

If you\xa0eat\xa0too\xa0much, you\xa0gain\xa0weight.
If you\xa0go\xa0swimming,\xa0you\xa0get\xa0wet.
If ice melts, it\xa0becomes\xa0water.

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Next episode, you will get\xa0this English tip about the first conditional\xa0to learn about the difference between the first and the zero conditionals. The first conditional is about a specific situation, but the zero conditional tense is talking in general.