Grammar · Free lesson
TOEIC grammar: attached or attaching?
Practice a noun-description pattern useful for TOEIC Listening & Reading Part 5 sentence completion. The workplace examples are original; this is a short grammar activity, not an official test item.
Professor Scott MendozaThe short answer
Use “the files attached to the email” for files that someone attached. Use “the employee attaching the files” for the person doing the action now. Choose by the noun’s relationship to the action, not simply by present versus past time.
Match the participle to the noun’s role.
In these examples, an -ing phrase describes the noun doing the action: the employee who is attaching the files. A past-participle phrase describes the noun receiving the action: the files that are attached to the email. The phrase describes a noun; it does not replace the sentence’s main verb.
Who attaches what?
Please review the files attached to the email.
The employee attaching the files is Nora.
the files that are attached to the email → the files attached to the email
the employee who is attaching the files → the employee attaching the files
In the second sentence, attaching describes the employee; is remains the main verb. In the first, review is the main action and attached describes files.
Identify the role first
Which noun?
files / employee
Does or receives?
employee attaches files / files are attached
Try it now
Choose the noun description
Read all answers and explanations
An employee has attached the files. Complete: Please review the files ___ to the email.
attachedThe files receive the attaching action, so attached describes them. Attaching would make the files the actor in this pattern.
Nora is attaching files now. Complete: The employee ___ the files is Nora.
attachingThe employee performs the action, so attaching describes the employee. Attachment is a noun, not this verb description.
Which phrase has the same meaning as files attached to the email?
files that are attached to the emailThat are attached makes the passive relationship explicit. The other choices make the files act on the email.
Put it into practice
Repair the file description
The employee attached the files. Fix the sentence asking the reader to review those files.
Please review the files attaching to the email.
See a model answer
Please review the files attached to the email.
“Please review the files that are attached to the email” is also valid. The short version keeps the same relationship.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Does attached always make the whole sentence past tense?
No. Here attached describes files. The main verb and sentence context determine the sentence’s time, while the participle shows the files’ relationship to the action.
The files attached to this email are ready for review.
Can I keep the full relative clause?
Yes. The short and full descriptions shown here are both grammatical. Shortening is an option, not a rule requiring every relative clause to be reduced.
the employee who is attaching the files / the employee attaching the files
Take it into your day
Attached describes the files receiving the action; attaching describes the employee doing it.
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