SHORT HISTORY, LONG ECHOES · A2/B1 · 50 min

The Taj Mahal

A beautiful building, built for love.

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Today: tell the story of the Taj Mahal, and talk about beautiful buildings. Grammar: relative clauses (who, which, where).

Key words — match them first

Before we read, let's learn the important words. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.

Words

  1. a tomb
  2. an emperor
  3. a wife
  4. to die
  5. to build
  6. marble
  7. beautiful
  8. famous

Meanings

  • A. a king who rules a big country
  • B. the woman a man is married to
  • C. a special grave for a dead person
  • D. very nice to look at
  • E. to stop living
  • F. a pretty white stone for big buildings
  • G. to make something big, like a house
  • H. when many people know you

1 = C (a tomb) · 2 = A (an emperor) · 3 = B (a wife) · 4 = E (to die)

5 = G (to build) · 6 = F (marble) · 7 = D (beautiful) · 8 = H (famous)

Now talk — out loud

Before we read:
  • Which word means a king? Which word is a kind of grave? Say them again.
  • Use three of the words to guess: what do you think this story is about?

The story, in three parts

Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.

Part 1 — A king and his wife

The Taj Mahal is a famous white building in India. It is in a city called Agra. It is a tomb — a special grave for a dead person.

Long ago, in the 1600s, there was an emperor. An emperor is like a king. His name was Shah Jahan. He loved his wife very much. Her name was Mumtaz Mahal.

In 1631, his wife died. The emperor was very sad. He wanted to do something special for her. So he decided to build the most beautiful tomb in the world.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What is the Taj Mahal, and where is it?

2. Why did the emperor want to build it?

1. It is a famous white tomb (a special grave) in the city of Agra, in India.

2. His wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died in 1631. He was very sad, so he wanted to build the most beautiful tomb in the world for her.

Talk about it:
  • The emperor was very sad. Why do you think he wanted to build something so big?

Part 2 — Building the Taj Mahal

Building started in 1632. It was a very big job. More than 20,000 workers built the Taj Mahal. That is a lot of people!

The building is made of white marble. Marble is a pretty, expensive stone. In the sun, the white marble looks very beautiful.

The work was slow. It took more than 20 years to finish. Today, many people say the Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. How many workers built the Taj Mahal?

2. What is the building made of?

1. More than 20,000 workers. It took more than 20 years to finish.

2. It is made of white marble — a pretty, expensive stone.

Talk about it:
  • 20,000 people worked for more than 20 years. Do you think one building can be that important? Why?

Part 3 — The Taj Mahal today

Later, the emperor died too. People put him in the Taj Mahal, next to his wife. Now they are together again.

Today, the Taj Mahal is very famous. Millions of people visit it every year. They come from all over the world to see it.

Many people say the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. It tells a story of a man who loved his wife very much.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What happened to the emperor when he died?

2. Why do many people love the Taj Mahal today?

1. When he died, people put him in the Taj Mahal, next to his wife. Now they are together.

2. It is very beautiful and very famous. Many people say it is a symbol of love.

Talk about it:
  • People call the Taj Mahal "a symbol of love". Do you think this is a good name for it? Why?

Grammar: relative clauses (who, which, where)

We use small words to give more information about a person, a thing, or a place.

who = for people: "Shah Jahan was an emperor who loved his wife."
which = for things: "The marble, which is white, is very beautiful."
where = for places: "Agra is the city where the Taj Mahal is."

1. Choose who, which or where

Write the right word in each gap. Then read the sentence out loud.

1. Shah Jahan was the emperor built the Taj Mahal.

2. The Taj Mahal is a building is made of white marble.

3. Agra is the city the Taj Mahal is.

4. Mumtaz Mahal was the wife died in 1631.

1. who (Shah Jahan is a person)

2. which (a building is a thing)

3. where (Agra is a place)

4. who (the wife is a person)

2. Join the two sentences

Make one sentence. Use who, which or where. Then read it out loud.

1. The Taj Mahal is a tomb. It is in India.
→ The Taj Mahal is a tomb ...

2. Shah Jahan was an emperor. He was very sad.
→ Shah Jahan was an emperor ...

3. The Taj Mahal is in Agra. Millions of people visit there.
→ The Taj Mahal is in Agra, ...

1. The Taj Mahal is a tomb which is in India.

2. Shah Jahan was an emperor who was very sad.

3. The Taj Mahal is in Agra, where millions of people visit.

Listen

There is a real podcast about the Taj Mahal. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.

Your job is easy: you already know the story and the key words. So just try to catch a few words you know — a name, a place, a word from today. Don't worry about the rest. This is great practice for your ears.

🎧 Short History Of… The Taj Mahal

From the Noiser podcast network. Hosted by historians, roughly 50 minutes.

Listen on Spotify →
While you listen:
  • Write down three words you hear and know from today's lesson.
  • Can you hear the names Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal? How many times?

Speak

Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.

Useful language: use who for people, which for things, and where for places. To give an opinion: "I think…", "For me…", "In my opinion…".
Time remaining: 3:00
Task A · Tell the story (3 minutes)

Tell the story of the Taj Mahal in your own words. Use these steps to help you: an emperor and his wife → his wife died → he built a beautiful tomb → 20,000 workers, 20 years → famous today, a symbol of love.

Try to use who, which and where, and some of the key words (tomb, emperor, wife, marble, beautiful, famous).

Task B · What do you think? (3 minutes)

Do you think the Taj Mahal is a beautiful idea, or a sad one? Why? Talk about your answer.

Task C · A famous building in your country (3 minutes)

Tell me about a famous building in your country. Who built it? Why did they build it? Where is it? Try to use who, which and where.

Not sure what to talk about? Choose one:

  • A church, mosque or temple in your town that is very old.
  • A statue or memorial built for someone people loved.
  • A big, beautiful building that many tourists come to see.
  • A castle or palace built by a king or queen long ago.
  • A new tall building that everybody knows in your city.

To finish

  1. The emperor built a big tomb for his wife. What special thing would you make for a person you love?
  2. Millions of people visit the Taj Mahal. Would you like to see it one day? Why?
  3. From memory: when do we use who, which, and where? Give me one example of each.