Breakdown of L'Antarctique a été visité par le chercheur.
être
to be
avoir
to have
visiter
to visit
par
by, through / out of (motive)
le chercheur
the researcher
l'Antarctique
the Antarctica (m)
Questions & Answers about L'Antarctique a été visité par le chercheur.
Why isn't there an extra 'e' on visité? Aren't continents ending in 'e' usually feminine?
Most continents in French are indeed feminine (like l'Europe or l'Asie), but l'Antarctique is an exception. It is masculine, so the past participle visité remains in its default masculine singular form without an extra 'e'.
How exactly is the verb structured here to mean 'was visited'?
This is the passive voice in the passé composé (perfect tense). It is built using the present tense of avoir (a), the past participle of être (été), and finally the past participle of the main verb (visité).
Could we use de instead of par to say 'by the researcher'?
No, par is the correct preposition here. In the passive voice, par introduces the agent for specific, physical actions like visiting. You would only use de for verbs describing states of being, emotions, or conditions (such as respecté de or entouré de).
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