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Le public est sur le point d'applaudir bruyamment.

Le public est sur le point d'applaudir bruyamment.
The audience is about to applaud loudly.
From Lesson 256:Adverbs of manner (-amment, -emment)·French

Questions & Answers about Le public est sur le point d'applaudir bruyamment.

How is the adverb bruyamment formed here?
It comes from the adjective bruyant (noisy). For adjectives ending in -ant, you drop the -nt and add -mment to form the adverb. Notice it is spelled with an 'a' (-amment), but it is pronounced exactly the same as if it were spelled -emment.
What does sur le point de mean?
It means 'about to' or 'on the verge of'. You use the expression être sur le point de followed by an infinitive verb (like applaudir here) to describe an action that is going to happen in the very immediate future.
Why is there a d' before applaudir?
It is part of the expression être sur le point de. Because the verb applaudir (to applaud) starts with a vowel, the preposition de contracts to d'.
Is public always singular in French, even though an audience is made up of many people?
Yes! Le public is a collective noun. Even though it describes a group of people, it is grammatically singular. You must always use the singular verb form with it (which is why we see est and not sont).

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