Medical Grammar

1
Medical Grammar

• Using the Zero Conditional

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Zero Conditional

• The zero conditional is used to
• State general truths
• State scientific facts
• Be careful using the zero conditional. It should
  only be used for situations or things that are
  always true or always happen. Make sure you dont
  use the words will may should or similar
  words in this conditional.

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Zero Conditional

• The zero conditional consists of two parts
• The main clause
• and
• The if clause

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Zero Conditional

• The main clause takes the following form
• Subject simple present form of the verb
• The if clause takes the following form
• If subject simple present form of the verb

5
Zero Conditional

• You can construct a sentence by either putting
  the if clause first and the main clause
  second, or you can reverse them.

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Zero Conditional

• You can construct a sentence by either putting
  the if clause first and the main clause
  second, or you can reverse them.
• If you exert enough force on a bone, it breaks.

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Zero Conditional

• You can construct a sentence by either putting
  the if clause first and the main clause
  second, or you can reverse them.
• If you exert enough force on a bone, it breaks.
• A bone breaks if you exert enough force on it.

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Zero Conditional

• You can construct a sentence by either putting
  the if clause first and the main clause
  second, or you can reverse them.
• If you exert enough force on a bone, it breaks.
• A bone will break if you exert enough force on
  it.
• Notice in the first sentence where the comma ,
  is placed, and notice that in the second sentence
  there is no comma at all.

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Zero Conditional

• Examples
• If you cool water to 0 degrees C, it freezes.

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Zero Conditional

• Examples
• If you cool water to 0 degrees C, it freezes.
• If you add acid to water, the pH falls.

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Zero Conditional

• Examples
• If you cool water to 0 degrees C, it freezes.
• If you add acid to water, the pH falls.
• If you reduce a fracture improperly, it heals
  incorrectly.

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (1)
• I / drink / to much alcohol / I / get / sick

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (1)
• I / drink / to much alcohol / I / get / sick
• If I drink to much alcohol, I get sick.

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (2)
• My friend / eat / peanuts / her / throat / swell

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (2)
• My friend / eat / peanuts / her / throat / swell
  / shut
• If my friend eats peanuts, her throat swells shut.

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (3)
• Fatty tissue / place / in water / it / float

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (3)
• Fatty tissue / place / in water / it / float
• If you place fatty tissue in water, it floats.

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (4)
• cut / finger / bleed / your

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Zero Conditional

• Test yourself (4)
• cut / finger / bleed / your
• If you cut your finger, it bleeds.

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Zero Conditional

• When talking about the body, sometimes we feel
  that the zero conditional is correct, but when
  talking about a disease condition or a patient or
  a physiological process, we often need to use the
  First Conditional. The first conditional is used
  to talk about thing that MAY happen, either now
  or in the future.