Question

Difficulty: MediumImperative Verbs and Commands

A self-checkout kiosk screen displays the following instruction in Spanish:

'No retire sus artículos embolsados hasta que finalice el proceso de pago.'

Based on this instruction, what is the customer commanded to do?

  1. A
    Remove their bagged items immediately to speed up the payment process.
  2. B
    Cancel the payment process if they have not yet bagged their items.
  3. Keep their bagged items at the kiosk until the payment process is complete.Answer
  4. D
    Pay for their items before placing them in the bagging area.

Answer

Keep their bagged items at the kiosk until the payment process is complete.
The instruction uses the negative formal command 'no retire' (do not remove) combined with the phrase 'hasta que' (until) and the subjunctive verb 'finalice' (finishes). Together, these direct the reader to keep the bagged items in place until the payment process is completed. Therefore, keeping the bagged items at the kiosk until the payment is complete is the correct interpretation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the imperative verb and its polarity in the Spanish instruction.
The verb phrase is 'No retire', which is a negative formal command meaning 'do not remove'.
Recognizing the negative command is crucial to understanding what action is prohibited.
2
Analyze the dependent clause and the temporal marker.
The clause 'hasta que finalice el proceso de pago' means 'until the payment process finishes'.
This establishes the timeframe or condition under which the command must be followed.
3
Synthesize the command and its condition to determine the overall instruction.
The customer must not remove the bagged items until the payment is finished, which means they must keep the items at the kiosk until the transaction is complete.
This matches the meaning of the correct option.

Key Concept

Interpreting negative formal commands and their temporal constraints in Spanish instructions.
Rate this question