volunteering
volunteering — verb
1. to offer to carry out a task or take on a role without being paid or required to
to offer to carry out a task or take on a role without being paid or required to do it — for example, helping at a local shelter, working on a community clean-up, or serving as a tutor.
Mert volunteered to wash the dishes after the big family dinner.
volunteer + to-infinitive for offering to do a task
Élise volunteers at the animal shelter every Saturday morning.
volunteer + at + [location] for regular unpaid work
Asher volunteered for the night shift at the hospital during the crisis.
Several neighbours volunteered their time to plant trees in the park.
Linh volunteered as a reading tutor for children at the local library.
- offer
broader: 'offer' can apply to objects or money; 'volunteer' specifically relates to one's time or effort
- step forward
more informal and dramatic; implies coming out of a group to volunteer
- sign up
suggests joining an organised programme rather than an impromptu offer
- conscript
to force someone into service, the opposite of offering freely
文法句型
volunteer + to-infinitive
volunteer + for + noun phrase
volunteer + as + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'to' + infinitive (volunteer to do something) or the preposition 'for' (volunteer for a role). When transitive, the object is typically time, services, or help — not a person.
常見錯誤
2. to offer information, an opinion, or an answer without being asked — as when som
to offer information, an opinion, or an answer without being asked — as when someone says they know something relevant before a question is asked.
Without anyone asking, Iris volunteered that she had seen the missing cat near the river.
volunteer + that-clause for offering information unsolicited
At the meeting, Manuela volunteered her opinion about the proposed budget changes.
volunteer + possessive + opinion/facts for offering a view
Christopher volunteered the answer before the teacher finished the question.
When the detective asked a simple question, Paul volunteered far more detail than needed.
- withhold
to keep information back, the opposite of offering it freely
文法句型
volunteer + that-clause
volunteer + noun phrase (information, opinion, answer)
用法筆記
This sense typically takes a that-clause or a noun phrase such as 'information', 'opinion', or 'answer'. It often carries a nuance of providing more than was requested.