Entrego la tarea al profesor en la escuela.

I turn in the homework to the teacher at the school.

Breakdown of Entrego la tarea al profesor en la escuela.

• yo: I
• la escuela: the school
• la tarea: the homework
• el profesor: the teacher
• en: at, in
• al: to the
• entregar: to turn in

Questions & Answers about Entrego la tarea al profesor en la escuela.

Why is it entrego and not entregar?

Entregar is the infinitive (to hand in / to deliver). Entrego is the verb conjugated in the present tense, first person singular: I hand in / I turn in / I deliver.
Conjugation (present): entrego, entregas, entrega, entregamos, entregan.

Can I include yo in this sentence, or is it usually omitted?

You can say Yo entrego la tarea al profesor en la escuela, but Spanish often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who does it.
Using yo adds emphasis or contrast (e.g., I turn it in, not someone else).

What does la do in la tarea? Is it required?

La is the definite article (the) and it marks feminine singular.
It’s common to use it when you mean a specific/known assignment: the homework/the assignment.
You can drop it in some contexts (more like English I turn in homework): Entrego tarea, but Entrego la tarea is the neutral, most common choice for a specific task.

Does tarea always mean homework?

Often, yes—tarea commonly means homework in Latin America. But it can also mean task or assignment, depending on context.
If you mean a paper or report, you might also hear trabajo (e.g., un trabajo).

Why is it al profesor and not a el profesor?

Al is a mandatory contraction of a + el in Spanish:

• a el profesor → al profesor
  This only happens with el (masculine singular the), not with ella, la, los, las, etc.

What role does al profesor play—direct object or indirect object?

La tarea is the direct object (the thing being handed in).
Al profesor is an indirect object (the recipient: to the professor/teacher).
You could also add an indirect object pronoun: Le entrego la tarea al profesor (very common).

Why isn’t there le in the sentence (as in le entrego)? Is it optional?

It’s optional but very natural to include it. Spanish often duplicates the indirect object with le:

• (Le) entrego la tarea al profesor.
  Including le sounds more typical in everyday Spanish; omitting it is still correct, especially in shorter, written-style sentences.

Could I use para el profesor instead of al profesor?

Not in this meaning. Entregar typically takes a for the person receiving something (to someone): entregar algo a alguien.
Para is more about intended purpose/for (e.g., Esto es para el profesor = This is for the teacher), but Entrego la tarea para el profesor sounds off here.

Why is it en la escuela and not a la escuela?

En expresses location: at/in the school (where the action happens).
A expresses movement toward a destination: to the school.
So:

• Entrego la tarea en la escuela = I hand it in at school.
• Entrego la tarea al profesor cuando voy a la escuela = …when I go to school.

Can en la escuela move to another position in the sentence?

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible, especially with time/place phrases:

• Entrego la tarea al profesor en la escuela. (neutral)
• En la escuela, entrego la tarea al profesor. (emphasis on location)
• Entrego en la escuela la tarea al profesor. (possible but less natural)

Is this sentence present tense only, or can it imply the near future?

It’s present tense, but Spanish present can express:

• habitual actions: I (usually) turn in the homework…
• scheduled/near-future actions: I’m turning in / I turn in (later today)…
  Context (time words, situation) decides which reading is intended.

Is profesor the right word in Latin America, or should it be maestro?

Both are used, but they can imply different contexts:

• profesor: very common for secondary school, college, or any teacher (often sounds more formal).
• maestro: very common for elementary school teacher, and also used generally in many places.
  If the setting is escuela (often primary school), maestro might be more typical; if it’s a higher level, profesor fits well.