The teacher offered to lend me the book as often as neeread the paragraph. volunteering at the animal shelter in my neighborhood has been a very rewarding experience. i started volunteering with a good friend of mine during summer vacation last year. volunteering at the shelter is a lot of hard work, and it isn’t always fun. volunteers spend a lot of time cleaning out cages. what does the gerund phrase "volunteering at the animal shelter” contribute to the text? the phrase conveys significant interest and variety. the phrase adds a specific detail about time and place. the phrase acts as a noun that is the subject of the sentence. the phrase adds more details by providing a direct object.