Breakdown of Le tireur a été bloqué par le garde du corps.
être
to be
avoir
to have
par
by, through / out of (motive)
bloquer
to block
Questions & Answers about Le tireur a été bloqué par le garde du corps.
Why is the verb a été bloqué (passé composé) used here instead of était bloqué (imparfait) for the passive voice?
In the passive voice, a été bloqué describes a specific, completed physical action (the bodyguard stepped in and blocked him). If we used the imperfect était bloqué, it would describe a state of being or a background setting in the past, meaning 'the shooter was trapped' or 'was in a blocked position.'
Since bloquer means to block or prevent, could it trigger the ne explétif we are learning about?
No, bloquer generally takes a direct object (like a person or thing) rather than a subordinate clause with que, so it doesn't trigger the ne explétif. The verbs of prevention in your current lesson (like empêcher or éviter) trigger the ne explétif specifically when followed by que and a new subject.
Why do we use par instead of de to say 'by the bodyguard'?
In the passive voice, par introduces the agent performing a specific, often physical action, like a bodyguard blocking someone. The preposition de is used instead of par when the passive verb expresses an emotion, a general condition, or a mental action (for example, Il est respecté de tous meaning 'He is respected by everyone').
Why is it le garde and not la garde?