So far in our High English grammar quizzes on conditional sentences we have looked at three types – probable, hypothetical and impossible conditionals. We have examined these in relation to the subjects we have used in sentences. Is it possible to generalise and not impose conditions? Yes it is, and such conditionals are called zero conditionals.
Zero conditionals apply to general truths. In nature we have seen plants grow. What happens if they don’t get enough sunlight? The plants wither. We can express this general truth in the following manner:
‘If a plant does not get enough sunlight, it withers.’ Alternatively, we can express it like this:
‘A plant withers if it does not get enough sunlight.’ We can also use the word 'when' like so:
‘When a plant does not get enough sunlight, it withers.’