contribute

contribute — 動詞

1. to give money, time, or other resources toward a shared goal, doing your part al

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

捐款；貢獻

為共同目標提供金錢、時間或資源

to give money, time, or other resources toward a shared goal, doing your part alongside others in a group effort.

例句

Ada contributes £20 to the local food bank every month.

Ada 每個月捐二十英鎊給當地的食物銀行。

contribute + [amount] + to + [institution]

Christopher contributed his old laptop to the school's computer lab.

Christopher 把他那台舊筆電捐給了學校的電腦教室。

contribute + [object] + to + [recipient]

同義詞
  • donate

    more restricted; usually refers to money or goods given to charity, not time or ideas

  • give

    more general; does not imply joint effort or shared goal as strongly

  • chip in

    informal; suggests each person gives a small amount toward a shared expense

反義詞
  • withhold

    to deliberately refuse to give what is expected

文法句型

contribute + [money / time / resources] + to + [cause / institution]

contribute to + [cause / institution]

用法筆記

Common objects include money, food, clothes, time, effort, and ideas. The preposition 'to' introduces the person, group, or institution that receives the help.

常見錯誤

❌I contributed for the charity.
✅I contributed to the charity.
💡Use 'to,' not 'for,' after 'contribute' when naming the recipient.
❌She contributed me $50.
✅She contributed $50 to my fundraiser.
💡The recipient must follow 'to'; do not use an indirect object directly after the verb.

2. to provide written material, photographs, or other creative work that is publish

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

撰稿；投稿

為報章雜誌等媒體撰寫文章或提供素材

to provide written material, photographs, or other creative work that is published in a newspaper, magazine, book, or on a website.

例句

Gabriela contributes a weekly column on healthy cooking to the city newspaper.

Gabriela 每週為市區報紙撰寫一篇健康烹飪專欄。

contribute + [regular feature] + to + [publication]

Ishaan contributed several wildlife photographs to a travel magazine last spring.

Ishaan 去年春天為一本旅遊雜誌提供了好幾張野生動物照片。

contribute + [visual content] + to + [publication]

同義詞
  • write for

    less formal; emphasises the author's ongoing relationship with the publication

  • supply

    more impersonal; often used for photographs or illustrations rather than text

文法句型

contribute + [article / photograph / story] + to + [publication]

contribute to + [publication]

用法筆記

Often implies a regular or semi-regular arrangement, though it can describe a one-time submission. The content contributed is owned by the contributor but published by the outlet.

常見錯誤

❌He contributed an article on the newspaper.
✅He contributed an article to the newspaper.
💡Use 'to,' not 'on,' for the publication.

3. to play a role in causing something to happen, often as one of several influence

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

導致；促成

成為某件事情發生的原因之一

to play a role in causing something to happen, often as one of several influences that together produce a result.

例句

Lack of sleep contributed to Hamza's poor performance on the final exam.

睡眠不足是 Hamza 期末考表現不佳的原因之一。

[negative factor] contribute to [negative result]

The new playground equipment contributed to a rise in outdoor play among local children.

新的遊樂場設備讓當地兒童從事戶外活動的次數增加了。

[positive factor] contribute to [positive result]

同義詞
  • lead to

    stronger causal link; suggests a more direct or inevitable result

  • play a part in

    more explicit about being one factor among many; slightly more formal

  • add to

    can also mean 'increase'; overlaps with 'contribute to' for negative results like problems

反義詞
  • prevent

    to stop something from happening

  • hinder

    to make it harder for something to happen

文法句型

contribute to + [noun]

contribute to + [gerund / verb-ing]

用法筆記

Always followed by 'to.' The subject is rarely the sole cause; it is one factor among several. Common in academic and journalistic writing to explain reasons behind trends or events.

常見錯誤

❌His hard work contributed passing the exam.
✅His hard work contributed to passing the exam.
💡The preposition 'to' is required even when followed by a gerund.
❌The rain contributed in the flood.
✅The rain contributed to the flood.
💡Use 'to,' not 'in.'