turn the floor

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "turn the floor" is not correct in standard English usage.
The correct expression is "take the floor," which is used when someone is about to speak or present in a meeting or gathering. Example: "After the introduction, I would like to take the floor to share my thoughts on the project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

And here I stop, and turn the floor over to your suggestions for Broadway debuts for the famous and infamous.

The New York Times

Let's turn the floor over to Rush Limbaugh: "Imam Hussein Obama," he recently declared, is "probably the best anti-American president we've ever had".

The New York Times

Managers use athletic tape to turn the floor into a court, so finding a hotel with a large meeting space is a priority.

The Washington Post

The linoleum covers cement, which is permeated by a network of water pipes; when the weather turns cold, hot water is pumped through the pipes, which turn the floor into a large flat radiator.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Then she turned the floor over to Abby.

Harvard Business Review

Then he turned the floor over to Mr. Erdogan for a similarly negative question on Syria.

The New York Times

Edwards might consider turning the floor over to his players more often.

The New York Times - Sports

Hayden turned the floor over to his ex-wife this way: "Now Jane wants to say a few words.

The New Yorker

During "Rockers East Vancouver" and "Sovereignty" the dozens in the crowd turned the floor into a mosh pit.

The New York Times - Arts

But first, Mr. Sharpton turned the floor over to Councilman Charles Barron, a frequent critic of New York's education reform efforts.

The New York Times

He turned the floor below into a spacious dining room with a corner study for Mr. Galanes, who is writing a novel.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to someone being given the opportunity to speak, use the correct idiom "take the floor" or "have the floor" instead of "turn the floor".

Common error

Avoid using "turn the floor" when you mean to indicate someone is beginning to speak. The proper expression is "take the floor".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "turn the floor" primarily functions as a verb phrase, but it is often misused. Ludwig AI explains that the correct idiom for yielding speaking rights is "take the floor". While examples exist, their grammatical correctness is questionable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

33%

Wiki

32%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "turn the floor" appears in various contexts, Ludwig AI shows it's often grammatically incorrect. The correct idiom for yielding speaking rights is "take the floor". When physical floors are involved, descriptions often involve transforming the floor in some way ("turn the floor into a dance floor"). The best practice is to avoid using "turn the floor" when you mean someone is starting to speak. Pay careful attention to the context and choose more precise and conventional phrasing like "take the floor", "give the floor to", or "yield the floor" to convey your intended meaning accurately.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take the floor

Replaces "turn" with "take", using the correct idiom for starting to speak in a meeting.

have the floor

Similar to "take the floor", indicating possession of the speaking opportunity.

yield the floor

Describes relinquishing the opportunity to speak, the inverse action of "take the floor".

give the floor to

Indicates transferring the right to speak to someone else.

turn the meeting over to

Expands the context to a full meeting, transferring control.

transform the floor

Focuses on changing the physical state or appearance of a floor, rather than a figurative transfer of speech.

convert the floor

Implies a more dramatic change to a floor's purpose or function.

make over the floor

Informal way to say transform the look of the floor.

remodel the floor

Suggests a structural alteration of the floor.

turn the tide

An idiomatic phrase meaning to reverse a trend or situation.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say someone is starting to speak in a meeting?

The correct idiom is to say they "take the floor" or "have the floor". Using "turn the floor" is grammatically incorrect in this context.

What does it mean to "take the floor"?

To "take the floor" means to begin speaking in a formal setting, such as a meeting or debate. It signifies that someone has been given or has claimed the opportunity to address the audience.

Can "turn the floor" be used in any context?

While generally incorrect as an idiom, "turn the floor" might be used literally to describe physically rotating or transforming a floor, such as "turn the floor into a dance floor".

Is "turn the floor over to" correct?

The expression "turn the floor over to" is sometimes used to mean giving someone the opportunity to speak, but "give the floor to" or "yield the floor to" are clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives.