Breakdown of Sous le microscope, la paroi est tapissée de fibres.
être
to be
sous
under
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
le microscope
the microscope
la paroi
the wall (inner, partition, side)
tapisser
to line
la fibre
the fiber
Questions & Answers about Sous le microscope, la paroi est tapissée de fibres.
Why do we use de instead of par for the passive agent here?
In the passive voice, the agent is usually introduced by par. However, we use de when the verb describes a state or condition rather than a specific physical action performed by an active participant. Here, est tapissée de describes the physical state of the wall being covered, so it takes de.
Why use la paroi for 'the wall' instead of le mur?
Le mur refers to a standard architectural wall, like the brick or drywall in a house. La paroi refers to an inner surface, partition, or lining. It is heavily used in science, biology, and anatomy to describe the walls of cells, organs, or cavities. Since this sentence involves a microscope, la paroi is exactly the right word.
Why is it de fibres and not des fibres?
Why does tapissée end with an extra -e?
This sentence is in the passive voice, which is always formed using the auxiliary verb être plus a past participle. In this structure, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. Because la paroi is feminine singular, tapissé becomes tapissée.
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