Word
Ustedes entregarán la calculadora al finalizar la prueba.
Meaning
You will hand in the calculator upon finishing the test.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Ustedes entregarán la calculadora al finalizar la prueba.
ustedes
you (plural)
la
the (feminine)
entregar
to hand over, to deliver
al
upon / when (+ infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Ustedes entregarán la calculadora al finalizar la prueba.
Why is the future tense (entregarán) used here instead of a direct command like entreguen?
In Spanish, the simple future tense is often used to give formal instructions, rules, or mandates. This is very common in administrative settings, legal documents, or tests. It sounds more like an official policy ('You shall...' or 'You are to...') than a direct personal order.
Why do we use al finalizar instead of a conjugated verb like cuando finalicen?
The structure al + infinitive is a concise way to say 'upon doing [something]' or 'when [something] happens'. Both al finalizar and cuando finalicen are grammatically correct, but al finalizar sounds more formal and is the standard choice for written instructions or announcements.
Can I use terminar instead of finalizar here?
Yes, al terminar means exactly the same thing and is perfectly natural. Finalizar is just slightly more formal, which perfectly matches the official tone of test instructions using the future imperative.