ser (any tense) + participle that agrees + por: La casa fue construida en 1990 por mi abuelo. — The house was built in 1990 by my grandfather. Here the participle agrees (unlike haber + participle). Perfect: ha sido construida. This form is mostly written (news, official texts).
estar + participle = the resulting state: La tienda está cerrada. — The shop is closed. / La tienda fue cerrada ayer. — The shop was closed down yesterday (action).
se + verb in the 3rd person, agreeing with the thing: Se vende piso. Se venden pisos. — Flat for sale. Flats for sale. Aquí se habla español. — Spanish is spoken here.
Verb in the singular, with no object or with a person introduced by a: Se vive bien en Lucerna. — Life is good in Lucerne. Se busca a los responsables. — The people responsible are being sought.
Other ways to say “they / people”: 3rd person plural (Dicen que va a llover. — They say it's going to rain. Me han robado la bici. — My bike has been stolen.); uno with a reflexive verb: Uno se acostumbra. — You get used to it.
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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