volunteer

Everyday

1. A volunteer is someone who does a job without being paid, because they want to help. tree →
2. A volunteer is someone who offers to do something nobody forced them to do. tree →
3. To volunteer is to offer to do something, or to work without pay. tree →
4. To volunteer information is to tell it without being asked. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life volunteers help at charity shops, food banks, beach clean-ups and sports clubs. In class, a teacher asks «Any volunteers?» and you put your hand up. Phrases: volunteer for, volunteer to, any volunteers, volunteer work, charity volunteer.

Examples

• Can I have a volunteer to hand out the books? tree →
• My mum volunteers at the food bank every Saturday. tree →
• She volunteered to read her poem aloud. tree →
• Twenty volunteers picked up litter on the beach. tree →
• Volunteers at the animal shelter walk the dogs. tree →
• Each of 12 volunteers worked 3 hours, so they gave 36 hours in all. tree →
• He volunteered the answer before anyone asked. tree →
• The king then promised a large reward to the soldier who would volunteer for the post. tree →

Note

Both a noun and a regular verb. The adjective is «voluntary» (done by choice or unpaid). Volunteers do not get paid, so in a maths problem their work costs nothing.