🗓️ Idiom: Hold the Floor (v)
💬 Meaning
- Be in control of doing a speech or presentation, especially for a long time.
- To take and keep control of the conversation/speech.
🧠 Example Sentences
- She held the floor for over ten minutes during the Q&A session.
- The manager held the floor to explain the new direction of the project.
- He tends to hold the floor whenever there’s a debate.
🏛️ Origin
The phrase “hold the floor” comes from parliamentary or formal meeting settings. When someone “holds the floor,” they have permission to speak, often for an extended time, without interruption. This usage dates back to at least the 1800s.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The speaker __________ for most of the meeting, leaving little time for others.
Answer
held the floor
2. Choose the correct meaning of “hold the floor”:
A) Dance on stage
B) Take notes in a meeting
C) Control the room while speaking
Answer
C)control the room while speaking
3.Change the sentence using “Hold the floor”: She held the floor for half an hour.
“She spoke for half an hour and kept the audience’s attention.”
Answer
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