volunteering

volunteering — 動詞

1. to offer to carry out a task or take on a role without being paid or required to

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

自願；志願

不計酬勞主動提供幫助

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.

例句

Mert volunteered to wash the dishes after the big family dinner.

Mert 在家庭聚餐後主動自願洗碗。

volunteer + to-infinitive for offering to do a task

Élise volunteers at the animal shelter every Saturday morning.

Élise 每週六早上在動物收容所做志工。

volunteer + at + [location] for regular unpaid work

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • 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

❌She volunteered to help at the charity event because she wanted to volunteer for helping.
✅She volunteered to help at the charity event.
💡avoid redundant phrasing with 'volunteer for' + gerund when the infinitive is clearer.

2. to offer information, an opinion, or an answer without being asked — as when som

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

主動說出

未經他人要求而提供資訊

to offer information, an opinion, or an answer without being asked — as when someone says they know something relevant before a question is asked.

例句

Without anyone asking, Iris volunteered that she had seen the missing cat near the river.

沒人問她，Iris 就主動說她在河邊看過那隻走失的貓。

volunteer + that-clause for offering information unsolicited

At the meeting, Manuela volunteered her opinion about the proposed budget changes.

會議上，Manuela 主動對預算變動方案提出了她的看法。

volunteer + possessive + opinion/facts for offering a view

同義詞
  • offer

    more general; 'volunteer' adds the nuance of providing without being asked

  • disclose

    more formal; implies revealing something previously hidden

  • divulge

    more formal and often carries a sense of revealing something sensitive

反義詞
  • 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.

常見錯誤

❌He told the police everything because they asked him.
✅He volunteered the information to the police before they even asked.
💡'volunteer' implies giving information freely, not under questioning.