In the zero conditional, which form is correct?

In the zero conditional, which form is correct?

• A. If + present tense, then + present tense
• B. If + past, then + would + present
• C. If + present, then + future
• D. If + future, then + present

Answer: (A)

The zero conditional is used for general truths or facts that always happen under a certain condition. Its form is If + present simple, then + present simple. This keeps the cause-and-effect tied to present, observable realities, like If you heat ice, it melts, or If you don’t water plants, they die. That’s why this option fits best: both clauses stay in the present simple, which expresses the universal quality of the statement. The other patterns mix tenses in ways that describe hypotheticals or future possibilities rather than universal truths—for example, using past in the if-clause with would in the main clause describes something hypothetical, while using a future in the result shifts the pattern to a different conditional, not the zero conditional.

The zero conditional is used for general truths or facts that always happen under a certain condition. Its form is If + present simple, then + present simple. This keeps the cause-and-effect tied to present, observable realities, like If you heat ice, it melts, or If you don’t water plants, they die.

That’s why this option fits best: both clauses stay in the present simple, which expresses the universal quality of the statement. The other patterns mix tenses in ways that describe hypotheticals or future possibilities rather than universal truths—for example, using past in the if-clause with would in the main clause describes something hypothetical, while using a future in the result shifts the pattern to a different conditional, not the zero conditional.