Should you finish early, you (are / will be ) welcome to explore the museum.

[chaenii92]

While I'm studying my English textbook, I found this question.

Full context is here.

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We anticipate that all activities will finish by 4:00 p.m. Should you finish early,
you (are / will be) welcome to explore the college museum.

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I want to know the answer.

 

[Copyright]

Could you tell us what you think first, please?

 

[chaenii92]

Could you tell us what you think first, please?

I think the latter is the answer because in that If-clause, the inversion took place and the verb 'should' is used. Considering that, I think I have to use the original form of the auxiliary verb in the main clause instead of 'are'/

 

[Copyright]

I would say "you are welcome to explore."

 

[chaenii92]

I would say "you are welcome to explore."

Could you please explain why?

 

[lingobingo]

The present tense version is more idiomatic and makes more sense. Telling someone they’re “welcome” to do something is to issue them an invitation to do it if they’d like to. This particular invitation is conditional, but the invitation itself already exists at the time of writing — in advance of the time when that condition may or may not be met. So you could say that to express it in future terms is inaccurate (you will be welcome, but you’re not yet).

The sentence could be paraphrased as:

You are welcome/invited/free/at liberty to explore the college museum if you finish early and so have time to kill.​