Passive = être in the tense you need + past participle, which agrees with the subject. The doer is introduced by par (by).
| tense | passive | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| present | Le pont est construit par une entreprise suisse. | The bridge is (being) built by a Swiss company. |
| passé composé | Le pont a été construit en 1990. | The bridge was built in 1990. |
| imparfait | Les ponts étaient construits en bois. | Bridges used to be built of wood. |
| plus-que-parfait | La route avait été fermée. | The road had been closed. |
| future | La maison sera vendue. | The house will be sold. |
| conditional | La loi serait acceptée. | The law would be accepted. |
Why « a été construit »? The passive uses être, and the passé composé of être is built with avoir: il a été (he has been). So: il a été + participle, exactly like English "has been built". There are two participles: été (of être) + construit.
Trap: Il est parti (he left), elle est née (she was born) are not passives: they are the active passé composé with être. And Le magasin est fermé usually describes a state (the shop is closed), not an action.
« de » instead of « par » with feelings and states: Il est aimé de tous. (He is loved by everyone.) La montagne est couverte de neige. (The mountain is covered with snow.)
Only verbs with a direct object can be passive: you can't say « Paul a été téléphoné » (téléphoner à qn), unlike English "Paul was phoned" or "I was told". Use on: On m'a dit… (I was told…)
French often prefers other structures:
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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