Breakdown of La fachada de la catedral fue diseñada por el arquitecto.
ser
to be
de
from / of
la
the (feminine)
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
diseñar
to design
el arquitecto
the architect
la fachada
the facade
la catedral
the cathedral
Questions & Answers about La fachada de la catedral fue diseñada por el arquitecto.
Why does this sentence use fue (from ser) instead of a form of estar?
Why does diseñada end in -a? Do past participles change endings?
In perfect tenses with haber (like ha diseñado), the past participle always ends in -o. However, in the passive voice with ser, the past participle acts like an adjective. It must match the subject in gender and number. Because the subject receiving the action is la fachada (feminine singular), the participle becomes diseñada.
Why is the preterite fue used here instead of the imperfect era?
Could I use para instead of por to mean 'by'?
No, you must use por. In passive voice sentences, por is the specific preposition used to introduce the agent, which is the person or thing performing the action. If you said para el arquitecto, it would mean the facade was designed for the architect to use, not designed by him.
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