Breakdown of La planète n'est pas encore terraformée par les astronautes.
être
to be
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
par
by, through / out of (motive)
encore
still, again
la planète
the planet
l'astronaute
the astronaut (m)
terraformer
to terraform
Questions & Answers about La planète n'est pas encore terraformée par les astronautes.
Why does terraformée have an extra -e at the end?
Why do we use par instead of de for "by" in this sentence?
In the passive voice, par is used to introduce the agent of a specific, physical action (like terraforming). You would only use de to mean "by" for emotions or states of being, such as aimé de (loved by) or entouré de (surrounded by).
Is it possible to put the word encore at the very end of the sentence?
No, in French, the adverb encore sticks closely to pas to form the fixed phrase pas encore (not yet). This entire negative chunk must directly follow the conjugated verb (est) and come before the past participle (terraformée).
French often avoids the passive voice. Why is it used here instead of an active sentence with on?
It is true that French frequently replaces the English passive voice with the active pronoun on (for example: On n'a pas encore terraformé la planète). However, the passive works perfectly here because the sentence focuses on the physical state of the planet itself, and the specific people performing the action are explicitly stated (par les astronautes).
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