Question

read 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 isnt 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.

Explanation:

The sentence "Volunteering at the animal shelter in my neighborhood has been a very rewarding experience" has "Volunteering at the animal shelter" as the subject. A gerund - phrase (like this one) can function as a noun in a sentence, and here it is the doer of the action "has been".

Answer:

The phrase acts as a noun that is the subject of the sentence.