How people 4,500 years ago built the biggest stone tombs in the world.
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These are the new words for the pyramids. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a pharaoh) · 2 = F (a pyramid) · 3 = D (a tomb) · 4 = G (a stone)
5 = B (a worker) · 6 = A (the desert) · 7 = H (a body) · 8 = E (heavy)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
The pyramids of Giza are in Egypt. People built them about 4,500 years ago. That is a very, very long time ago. There are three big pyramids and many smaller ones.
The king of Egypt was called a pharaoh. People believed the pharaoh was a god. When a pharaoh died, they believed he did not really stop living. They believed he went to a new life after death. But for this, his body had to stay safe. So they kept the body and put it in a special place.
That special place was the pyramid. A pyramid was a huge tomb — a house for a dead king. Inside, there was the body of the pharaoh, and there was gold and treasure too. The biggest pyramid was for a pharaoh called Khufu. It was 146 metres high. For almost 4,000 years, it was the tallest building in the world.
1. What did people in Egypt believe about the pharaoh?
2. What was a pyramid for?
1. They believed the pharaoh was a god, and that he went to a new life after he died.
2. A pyramid was a big tomb — a place to keep the dead pharaoh's body and his treasure safe.
How did they build the pyramids? This is amazing, because they had no machines. They had no big trucks and no cranes. They did everything with their hands.
A long time ago, some people thought that slaves built the pyramids. But now we know this is not true. The workers were not slaves. They were normal Egyptians, and they got food, homes and pay for their work. There was a small town near the pyramids for the workers. In this town, there were houses, and there was bread and beer for the workers.
The stones were very big and very heavy. Each stone weighed more than two cars! The workers cut the stones from the ground. Then they pulled the stones on wooden sledges over the sand. They put water on the sand to make it easier. To lift the stones high, they made long ramps and pulled the stones up. It took about twenty years to build one big pyramid.
1. Who built the pyramids — slaves or paid workers?
2. How did the workers move the very heavy stones?
1. Paid workers, not slaves. They were normal Egyptians who got food, homes and pay.
2. They pulled the stones on wooden sledges over the sand (with water on the sand) and up long ramps.
The pyramids had one big job: to keep the king's body and gold safe forever. But this did not work. After some years, bad people came and opened the tombs. They took all the gold and the treasure. When people looked inside the pyramids much later, the rooms were empty.
The outside changed too. Long ago, the big pyramid had smooth white stones on the outside. In the sun, it was bright and beautiful. But later, people took these white stones away. They used them to build the city of Cairo. Today the pyramid looks rough and brown, like big steps.
But the pyramids are still here. Long ago, the Greeks made a list of the seven wonders of the world. The pyramids were on this list. Today, they are the only wonder from that list that we can still see. They are more than 4,500 years old, and every year millions of people come to look at them.
1. What happened to the gold and treasure inside the pyramids?
2. Why does the big pyramid look rough and brown today?
1. Bad people opened the tombs and took all the gold and treasure. The rooms are empty now.
2. Long ago it had smooth white stones on the outside, but people took them away to build Cairo.
This story happened a long time ago, so we use the past simple. We also use there was and there were to say what existed.
Put the verb in brackets into the past simple.
1. The Egyptians (build) the pyramids about 4,500 years ago.
2. The workers (pull) the heavy stones over the sand.
3. Bad people (take) the gold from the tombs.
1. built (irregular)
2. pulled (regular, + -ed)
3. took (irregular)
Choose there was (one thing) or there were (more than one).
1. three big pyramids at Giza.
2. Inside the tomb, a lot of gold.
3. Near the pyramids, a small town for the workers.
4. In the town, many houses.
1. There were (three = plural)
2. There was (gold = one thing / uncountable)
3. There was (one town)
4. There were (many houses = plural)
Fill each gap with the past simple, or with there was / there were. Read it aloud when you finish.
Long ago, the Egyptians (build) huge pyramids. three big ones at Giza. The workers (cut) the stones and (pull) them over the sand. Inside the biggest pyramid, the body of the pharaoh.
built · There were · cut · pulled · there was
Use the past simple for actions, and there was / there were to say what existed.
There is a real podcast about the pyramids. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. It plays on the Noiser site, or search "Short History Of The Pyramids" on Spotify.
Play on Noiser →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the pyramids in your own words. Use these steps to help you: the pharaoh was a god → when he died, his body went in a big tomb → workers cut and pulled the heavy stones → they built the pyramid in about twenty years → later, people took the gold and the white stones → the pyramids are still here today.
Try to use the past simple ("they built…", "the workers pulled…") and there was / there were ("there was gold", "there were three pyramids"), and some key words (pharaoh, pyramid, tomb, stone, worker, desert, body, heavy).
The Egyptians used many years and many workers to build one big tomb. Do you think this was a good idea? What big things do people build today? Is it worth it? Why, or why not?
Tell me about a famous old building or place — one that many people visit. Use the past simple to say how it was made, and there was / there were to say what was there.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: