Meaning & use
sweeping the floor
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“sweeping the floor” is a form of “sweep the floor”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
The activity of cleaning a floor with a broom or brush.
Grammar: Functions as a noun phrase; can be the subject or object of a sentence. Often used after verbs like 'enjoy' or 'finish'.
Patterns
- enjoy sweeping the floor
- finish sweeping the floor
- sweeping the floor is
Sweeping the floor is my least favorite chore.
She spent the morning sweeping the floor and dusting the shelves.
He hurt his back while sweeping the floor.
phrasefixed phrase
The continuous action of cleaning a floor, often used in progressive tenses.
Grammar: Used with auxiliary verbs like 'is' or 'was' to form continuous tenses.
Patterns
- be sweeping the floor
- was sweeping the floor
She is sweeping the floor right now, so please wait.
They were sweeping the floor when the phone rang.
Common combinations
- busy sweeping the floor
- He was busy sweeping the floor when I arrived.
- finish sweeping the floor
- I'll help you as soon as I finish sweeping the floor.
- start sweeping the floor
- She started sweeping the floor after lunch.
- while sweeping the floor
- He found a coin while sweeping the floor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brushing the floor
- Brushing the floor is similar but usually implies using a smaller brush, not a broom.
Word family
Commonly confused: sweeping the floor or mopping the floor?
sweeping the floor vs mopping the floor
Mopping involves using a wet mop and water, while sweeping uses a dry broom to remove loose dirt.
Practice
She enjoys ______ the floor every morning.
Choose one answer.
After the verb 'enjoys', we use the -ing form (gerund) 'sweeping'. 'Sweep' is the base form, 'swept' is past tense, and 'sweeps' is third-person singular, none of which fit after 'enjoys'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sweeping the floor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.