The passive voice in the past (a été + par)

The Passive Voice in the Past

Use the passive voice in the passé composé to describe historical events. For singular subjects, use a été (was) followed by the past participle and par (by).

The temple was destroyed by the army.
Le temple a été détruit par l'armée.
The empire was founded by the emperor.
L'empire a été fondé par l'empereur.
This territory was conquered by the queen.
Ce territoire a été conquis par la reine.

Past Participle Agreement

Because the passive voice uses the helping verb être, the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number. For example, add an -e for feminine subjects.

Which pyramid was built by the king?
Quelle pyramide a été construite par le roi ?
The battle was won by our army.
La bataille a été gagnée par notre armée.