Zero Conditional EnglishCLUB.

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Activity Sheet (page 1/2)
Intermediate

We use the Zero Conditional to talk about facts and general truths which always happen under
certain conditions. Zero Conditional sentences are made up of two clauses, an ‘if’ or ‘when’ clause,
and a main clause. If the ‘if’ clause precedes the main clause, it is followed by a comma.

If you heat ice cream, it melts. Ice cream melts if you heat it.
(If + present simple + present simple) (present simple + if + present simple)

A. Match the beginnings of the zero conditional sentences with the correct endings.

1. Water boils ...... a. when they are small.

2. If you put metal in the microwave, ...... b. if it doesn’t have an afternoon nap.

3. Bread tastes better ...... c. it catches fire.

4. The baby gets grumpy ...... d. when you put butter on it.

5. If Jim doesn’t eat every few hours, ...... e. if you don’t turn the lights off.

6. Kids pick up languages more easily ...... f. he gets really dizzy.

7. You waste a lot of electricity ...... g. when it gets to 100 degrees.

B. Complete the Zero Conditional sentences below, using suitable verbs in the correct
form.

stop mix feel drop leak have be (2) earn take (2)

drink freeze not / go get (2) use work die rain

1. If the temperature ...................... below zero, the lake ......................

2. If I ...................... sick, I ...................... to school.

3. When it ...................... winter in the UK, it ...................... summer in Australia.

4. When Sara ...................... home in the evening, she ...................... the dog out.

5. If you ...................... blue and yellow, you ...................... green.

6. You ...................... less water when you ...................... showers instead of baths.

7. I ...................... more money if I ...................... overtime.

8. Your heart ...................... beating when you ......................

9. If I ...................... coffee in the evening, I ...................... difficulty sleeping.

10. When it ...................... heavily, our roof .......................

A freely photocopiable EnglishClub printable written by Lucy Green. © www.englishclub.com

 Zero Conditional (page 2/2)
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C. Complete the facts below using one of the verbs on the left and one of the words on the
right. Afterwards, talk with your partner and guess whether each fact is true or false.

verbs other words

make leave bite sleep have noise female left angry adults

burn turn spit lose have calories eye cheese tail skin

1. If you eat too many carrots, your ...................... ...................... orange. True False

2. When llamas get ......................, they ...................... True False

3. If a lizard ...................... its ......................, it grows another one. True False

4. If a mosquito ...................... you, it’s probably a ...................... True False

5. When babies are born, they ...................... fewer bones than ...................... True False

6. Humans ...................... fewer ...................... when they are asleep. True False

7. When a bat ...................... a cave, it always turns ...................... True False

8. If you eat ...................... before sleeping, you ...................... nightmares. True False

9. Birds ...................... more ...................... when it’s about to rain. True False

10. Dolphins only close one ...................... when they ...................... True False

D. With a partner, create four more scientific 'facts' of your own, some true, some false,
using the Zero Conditional. You may need to do some research online. Afterwards, find
another partner and read your facts out to each other. See if you can guess which facts
are true and which ones are not.

1. .....................................................................................................................................

2. .....................................................................................................................................

3. .....................................................................................................................................

4. .....................................................................................................................................

E. Complete the conversation questions using the verbs below. Afterwards, take turns
asking them to your partner, using the Zero Conditional in your answers.

have get have feel have

1. When you ...................... bored, what do you do to make time pass more quickly?

2. If you don’t ...................... to go to school or work, what time do you get up?

3. When you ...................... a problem, who do you turn to for advice?

4. If you ...................... stressed, what do you do to relax?

5. When you ...................... a day off, what do you like to do?

A freely photocopiable EnglishClub printable written by Lucy Green. © www.englishclub.com