"Attached you will find..."

Question

Despite its being an overly-formal, somewhat stuffy sort of expression, "Attached you will find..." is still something that I come across from time to time. But is it grammatically correct? What's going on in there?

Take this example: "Attached you will find your son or daughter's school schedule."

"Attached" is, technically, a participle phrase -- no? It's a verb working as an adjective adding information and detail to the noun phrase "your son or daughter's school schedule," right?

But it's separated from the noun phrase it is intended to modify; participle phrases modify the noun or noun phrase that they're closest to, so wouldn't "attached" be working its magic on "you" and not "your son or daughter's school schedule" ? Thoughts?

Clive · Accepted Answer

wouldn't "attached" be working its magic on "you"? You have to use common sense in interpreting meaning.

Clive · Answer

Fair enough. I didn't intend to be dismissive.

Here are a few thoughts.

I would consider it OK with an added comma.

ie "Attached, you will find your son or daughter's school schedule."

The comma, or the slight pause if speaking, signals that 'attached does not modify 'you' and there is only one other possibility.

If you don't agree, what would you say instead?

A bigger concern to me is this ''find attached' phrasing which seems tired and formulaic to me but is much favoured by learners of English.

Clive

"Attached you will find..."

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