Zero Conditional Khmer ( Easy Khmer and English explanation + exercises)

Zero Conditional (Easy Explanation + Worksheet)

The zero conditional is one of the most important grammar structures in English. It is used to talk about habits, facts and general truths. In this lesson, you will learn the easy uses, forms, examples and interactive practice plus free download worksheet. This lesson, you will learn zero conditional explained in Khmer and English. 

What is Zero Conditional?

Zero Conditional is a grammar point used describe a result of a condition. This simply means that when a specific condition is made, there will be a result. Present simple is used in both reason and result clause, that why zero conditional is used to talk about habits and facts. 

Structure of Zero Conditional

If + Present Simple, Present Simple  or 

Present Simple If + Present Simple 

If + Present Simple : This is called the reason clause, conditional clause, or if clause) 

Present Simple : This is the main clause or the result clause

Modal Verbs that can be used in Zero Conditional Clause are: 

• can / can't (ability / strong possibility) Ex. If you tell me your problem, I can help you.
• may ( low possibility) Ex. I may join the trip if I have time. 
• might ( very low possibility) Ex. You might  win 1 million dollars if you try the lottery. 
• should ( advice) Ex. You should drink warm water if you catch a cold. 

Note

• Don't use " will" 
• "When" can be used to replace " if" 

Examples of Zero Conditional

Habits / Routines : regular activities

• If  I feel stressed, I usually go out with friends.
• If they have time, they always play soccer on the weekends. 
• If I am not busy, I help my family do the chores.
• If I feel lazy, I usually watch a movie on my YouTube.
• If you don't listen to me, I stop talking to you.
• If I feels tired, I take some rest.
• If my mom blames me, I just ignore.
• If you don't brush your teeth regularly, your mouth stinks.
• If we don't water our plants for a week, they simply die.
• If I get sick, I normally get enough rest and go to see the doctor. 

Explanation 

- If I feel stressed ( is the condition to be met)

- I usually go out with friends. ( is the result when the condition is met) 

Facts / General Truth : Something that is always true

• If we don't get enough, we feel exhausted the next morning.
• If we heat ice, it melts.
• If the temperature drops to 0, water freezes. 
• The sky is clear when the sun rises.
• It is dark when we turn off the light at night. 

Modal Verbs : can, may, might, must, should

• If I know English, I can travel the world.
• If it doesn't rain, we may go jogging in the park.
• I might join the workshop tomorrow If I am free. 
• If you want to stay fit, you must do exercise regularly. 
• You should drink warm water if you catch a cold. 

When Do We Use Zero Conditional?

We use Zero Conditional when we want to talk about a result or happening when a specific condition is met. The result and the happening can be habits, routines, facts or general truth. 

Zero Conditional – Common Mistakes

1. Using “will” in Zero Conditional

•  Wrong: If you heat water, it will boil ❌
• Correct: If you heat water, it boils ✅

💡 Rule:

Zero conditional = If + Present Simple, + Present Simple

 2. Using Past Tense

• Wrong: If you heated ice, it melts ❌
• Correct: If you heat ice, it melts ✅

💡 We use present tense, not past.

3. Missing Subject or Verb

• Wrong: If rain, we stay home ❌
• Correct: If it rains, we stay home ✅

💡 Always include:

Subject (it, you, we…)

Verb (rains, eat, go…)

4. Wrong Sentence Order (No Comma)

• Wrong: If it rains we stay at home ❌
• Correct: If it rains, we stay at home ✅

💡 Use a comma (,) after the “if” clause.

5. Using “going to” or future forms

• Wrong: If you don’t eat, you are going to feel hungry ❌
• Correct: If you don’t eat, you feel hungry ✅

💡 Zero conditional = facts, not future plans

6. Confusing with First Conditional

•  Wrong: If it rains, we will stay home ❌ (First conditional)
• Correct (Zero): If it rains, we stay home ✅

Khmer Explanation

យើងប្រើ Zero Conditional ដើម្បីនិយាយអំពីការពិត និងទម្លាប់ ។ Present Simple ត្រូវបានប្រើទាំងក្នុង reason clause & result clause. 

• If  I feel stressed, I usually go out with friends.

ក្នុងឧទាហរណ៍ខាងលើបកប្រែថា៖ ប្រសិនបើខ្ញុំមានអារម្មណ៍ស្ត្រេស ជាទូរទៅខ្ញុំចេញក្រៅជាមួយមិត្តរបស់ខ្ញុំ។ ប្រយោគនេះនិយាយអំពីទម្លាប់របស់ខ្ញុំ 

លក្ខ័ណ៖ ប្រសិនបើខ្ញុំមានអារម្មណ៍ស្ត្រេស 

ផល៖ ជាទូរទៅខ្ញុំចេញក្រៅជាមួយមិត្តរបស់ខ្ញុំ

• If we heat ice, it melts.

ក្នុងឧទាហរណ៍ខាងលើបកថា៖ ប្រសិនបើយើងកំដៅទឹកកក វារលាយ។ ប្រយោគនេះនិយាយអំពីកការពិត។ 

លក្ខ័ណ៖ ប្រសិនបើយើងកំដៅទឹកកក

ផល៖ វារលាយ

យើងអាចប្រើប្រាស់  when  ជំនួសអោយ  if បាន ដូចឧទាហរណ៍ខាងក្រោម៖ 

• I usually go fishing in the countryside if I have time on the weekend.
• I usually go fishing in the countryside when I have time on the weekend.

Zero Conditional មានប្រយោគ២សំខាន់ៗ 

If + Present Simple, Present Simple

• If + Present Simple : ប្រយោគលក្ខ័ណ (មាន  if) 
• Present Simple : ប្រយោគផល

Other Conditionals

Zero Conditional Khmer

First Conditional Khmer

Second Conditional Khmer

Third Conditional Khmer

Zero Conditional Exercises

Multiple Choice Question

Choose one correct answer for each sentence below.

1. If you heat water to 100°C, it ______.

a. will boil

b. boils ✅

c. boiled

2. If I feel tired, I usually ______ a rest.

a. take ✅

b. will take

c. took

3. If it rains, we ______ at home.

a. stay ✅

b. will stay

c. stayed

4. If you mix red and blue, you ______ purple.

a. get ✅

b. will get

c. got

5. If people eat too much sugar, they ______ weight.

a. gain ✅

b. will gain

c. gained

6. If I feel hungry, I ______ something to eat.

a. eat ✅

b. will eat

c. ate

7. If the sun sets, it ______ dark.

a. gets ✅

b. will get

c. got

8. If you don’t water plants, they ______.

a. die ✅

b. will die

c. died

9. If we study hard, we ______ good grades.

a. get ✅

b. will get

c. got

10. If ice melts, it ______ into water.

a. turns ✅

b. will turn

c. turne

11. If I am bored, I ______ TV.

a. watch ✅

b. will watch

c. watched

12. If you touch fire, it ______ you.

a. burns ✅

b. will burn

c. burned

13. If students are late, the teacher ______ angry.

a. gets ✅

b. will get

c. got

14. If you don’t sleep well, you ______ tired.

a. feel ✅

b. will feel

c. felt

15. If we don’t eat, we ______ hungry.

a. become ✅

b. will become

c. became

16. If it is very hot, people ______ water.

a. drink ✅

b. will drink

c. drank

17. If you press this button, the machine ______.

a. starts ✅

b. will start

c. started

18. If children play outside, they ______ happy.

a. feel ✅

b. will feel

c. felt

19. If I wake up early, I ______ exercise.

a. do ✅

b. will do

c. did

Zero Conditional – Gap Filling Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (Present Simple).

1. If you ______ (heat) water, it ______ (boil).

2. If it ______ (rain), we ______ (stay) at home.

3. If you ______ (not eat), you ______ (feel) hungry.

4. If people ______ (exercise) regularly, they ______ (stay) healthy.

5. If you ______ (mix) red and blue, you ______ (get) purple.

6. If the sun ______ (set), it ______ (get) dark.

7. If you ______ (heat) ice, it ______ (melt).

8. If plants ______ (not get) water, they ______ (die).

9. If I ______ (drink) coffee at night, I ______ (not sleep) well.

10. If you ______ (press) this button, the machine ______ (start).

✅ Answer Key

heat / boils

👉 If you heat water, it boils.

rains / stay

👉 If it rains, we stay at home.

don’t eat / feel

👉 If you don’t eat, you feel hungry.

exercise / stay

👉 If people exercise regularly, they stay healthy.

mix / get

👉 If you mix red and blue, you get purple.

sets / gets

👉 If the sun sets, it gets dark.

heat / melts

👉 If you heat ice, it melts.

FAQ

Q1. When do we use Zero Conditional?

A : We use Zero Conditional to talk about facts and habits. It links between the condition and the result. 

Q2. What tense is used in Zero Conditional ? 

A : Present Tense is used. It can be present simple, present  continuous and present perfect tense. 

Q3. How many clauses are there in Zero Conditional? 

A : There are to main clauses which are the reason or conditional clause ( the one that has "if") and the main or result clause. When reason clause is placed at the beginning a comma "," is used.

Q4. What modal verbs can be used in Zero Conditional? 

A : Here are the modal verbs we use in Zero Conditional : Can / may / might / must / should

Q5. What can be used in place of " if" 

A: In stead of " if" we can used " when" 

Keywords 

zero conditional Cambodia

zero conditional for Cambodian students

learn zero conditional Khmer students

English grammar Cambodia

Free worksheet ready to download pdf

Zero Conditional Worksheet 1 pdf 

Zero Conditional exercises 2 pdf

You may like these 

• Present Simple
• First Conditional
• Second Conditional
• Third Conditional

Interactive Practice

Zero Conditional Sentence Unscramble

Click the words in the correct order to make each sentence.

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