Past Simple Tense in English Explained with Sydney Opera House Facts

Learning English grammar is much easier when you connect it to real life. Instead of memorising long lists of verbs, why not practise with a fascinating story from history? Today, we are going to learn the past simple tense while exploring one of Australia’s most famous Oz landmarks – the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Opera House is not just a building. It is a masterpiece of modern architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most recognisable symbols of Australia. Its history is full of important dates, events, and people – all of which are perfect examples for practising the past simple tense.

What is the Past Simple

The past simple tense is one of the most common verb tenses in English. We use it to talk about actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past.

Here are the basic rules:

1: Regular verbs: Add -ed to the base form.

• Example: play → played, watch → watched.

2: Irregular verbs: The verb changes completely, and you must memorise them.

• Example: begin → began, build → built.

Sentence Structure

The basic structure of a past simple sentence is:

Subject + past verb + object

• She visited the Opera House in 2010.
• They watched a concert last night.
• We learned English yesterday.

The time reference is often clear – words like yesterday, last year, in 1973 and helps show the action is finished.

The Sydney Opera House in the Past Simple Tense

Now, let’s connect grammar with history. The Sydney Opera House has an incredible story, and we can retell it using the past simple tense.

1. Construction began in 1959.
2. Danish architect Jørn Utzon designed the Opera House, but he later resigned from the project.
3. The building officially opened on October 20, 1973.
4. Queen Elizabeth II attended the opening ceremony.
5. Since then, the Opera House became one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

Notice how the verbs are in the past tense. Some are regular (opened, designed, attended) and some are irregular (began, became). This is exactly how the past simple tense works in real history.

✅ Common Mistakes to Avoid

When practising the past simple, learners often confuse it with other tenses. Let’s look at why the other options would be wrong:

The Opera House is opening in 1973. ❌

Wrong because is opening is present continuous. We don’t use present tenses to describe past events.

The Opera House opens in 1973. ❌

Wrong because opens is present simple, used for facts or routines, not for one-time events in the past.

The Opera House was opening in 1973. ❌

Wrong because was opening is past continuous. This tense is used for ongoing actions in the past, not for completed events.

👉 The correct form is: The Opera House opened in 1973.

The same logic applies to the other quiz sentences:

• Jørn Utzon designs… ❌ present simple, not historical.
• Queen Elizabeth II is attending… ❌ wrong tense.
• Construction was starting… ❌ suggests it was interrupted, but here we need a clear, completed action.
• Millions of people are visiting… ❌ wrong tense for historical fact.

💡 Rule of thumb: When a sentence refers to a completed action at a specific time in the past, always use the past simple tense.

Cultural and Historical Insights

 
 


This video lesson is powered by Aussie Walker’s Youtube Channel.

Learning English is not only about grammar; it is also about culture. By reading real facts about places like the Sydney Opera House, you improve your vocabulary and your understanding of the world.

Here are some fun facts about the Opera House:

• The Sydney Opera House is made up of more than one million tiles on its famous white sails.
• The design of the sails was inspired by the segments of an orange.
• It took 14 years to build, and the cost was much higher than expected.
• Today, it hosts more than 1,500 performances every year and welcomes over 8 million visitors.

These facts are not only interesting, but they also give us more opportunities to practise the past simple tense. For example:

• The Opera House took 14 years to complete.
• It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
• Visitors from all over the world came to see it.

Practise the Past Simple with Your Own History

Now it’s your turn. Choose a landmark from your country and write three sentences about it in the past simple tense. For example:

• The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889.
• The Great Wall of China became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
• The Pyramids of Giza attracted travellers for thousands of years.

This activity helps you practise new verbs and connect English grammar to something meaningful from your culture.

Why Combine Grammar and History?

Many learners struggle to remember grammar rules when they study them in isolation. By linking grammar with history and culture, you create a context. The story of the Sydney Opera House is not just about dates and facts and it’s about using English to talk about real events.

When you use real examples:

• You practise irregular verbs naturally.
• You remember grammar rules better because they are connected to a story.
• You also learn new vocabulary related to culture, architecture, and history.

This makes learning more enjoyable and more effective.

Conclusion

The past simple tense is one of the most important tenses in English. It allows us to talk about completed actions and share stories from history. The story of the Sydney Opera House is full of examples that bring this grammar to life.

• Construction began in 1959.
• The Opera House officially opened in 1973.
• It later became one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

By practising grammar through history, you not only improve your English but also learn something new about the world.

👉 Now it’s your turn: Write three sentences in the past simple tense about a landmark in your country. Share them in the comments, and let’s practise together.

📝 Mini Quiz Questions

1. The Opera House ______ (open) in 1973.
2. Jørn Utzon ______ (design) the Sydney Opera House.
3. Queen Elizabeth II ______ (attend) the opening ceremony.
4. Construction ______ (start) in 1959.
5. Millions of people ______ (visit) the Opera House after it opened.

✅ Correct Answers + Grammar Explanations

1. The Opera House opened in 1973.

Reason: The verb open is a regular verb, so we add -ed to form the past simple → opened.

We use past simple here because the action (the opening ceremony) was completed at a specific time in the past (1973).

2. Jørn Utzon designed the Sydney Opera House.

Reason: The verb design is also a regular verb, so the past simple form is designed.

Utzon’s design process happened in the past and was finished before construction started, so past simple is correct.

3. Queen Elizabeth II attended the opening ceremony.

Reason: Attend is another regular verb, so we add -ed → attended.

This is a completed historical event (the Queen’s attendance in 1973), so the past simple tense is used.

4. Construction started in 1959.

Reason: Start is a regular verb, so the past simple is started.

The year 1959 is a clear time reference in the past, and the action (starting construction) is finished, so past simple is required.

5. Millions of people visited the Opera House after it opened.

Reason: Visit is regular, so we add -ed → visited.

This describes repeated but completed visits in the past, especially after 1973 when the Opera House opened. Even though millions of visits happened over time, the verb still uses past simple because each visit is a completed action.

💡 Teaching Tip

When students ask “Why past simple?”, remind them of these rules for past simple:

Completed actions in the past → The Opera House opened in 1973.

A specific time is given → Construction started in 1959.

Historical events are always told in the past simple → The Queen attended the ceremony.