The Person Who Changed My Life
Defining relative clauses — who, which, that. Maya writes a blog post about the people who shaped her life in Toronto: Leo, Omar, Priya, and Jess.
📖 Reading: People Who Matter
Maya is writing a blog post about the people who have shaped her life in Toronto.
"Leo is the person who first spoke to me in this city. He's the barista who turned out to be my neighbour — and my closest friend here."
"The café that he opened last year has become the centre of my social life. It's a place that feels like home."
"Omar is the man who taught me that losing is part of learning. He's someone who never stops questioning — which I find both exhausting and inspiring."
"Priya is the person that I call when I need practical advice. She is someone who combines ambition with warmth in a way that I deeply admire."
"And Jess — she's the colleague who made the phone call that changed everything. The opportunity that she found for me was the catalyst for the life I have now."
"There is a quote that I love: 'You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.' If that's true, then I am very lucky indeed."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| shape | To influence the development of someone or something | v. — The people who shaped her life in Toronto. |
| catalyst | A person or event that causes rapid change | n. — Jess was the catalyst for her new life. |
| practical | Relating to real situations rather than theory; useful | adj. — Priya gives practical advice. |
| admire | To regard someone with respect and approval | v. — She deeply admires Priya. |
| exhausting | Making you feel very tired | adj. — His constant questioning is exhausting. |
| average | A typical level calculated from a group | n. — You are the average of 5 people. |
| opportunity | A situation making it possible to do something | n. — The opportunity Jess found was the catalyst. |
| quote | A phrase or sentence taken from a source | n. — There is a quote that she loves. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
who (for people) | Leo is the person who first spoke to me. |
which (for things) | The café which he opened is my second home. |
that (for people and things) | The opportunity that Jess found changed everything. |
[omit] when object | The man [that] I met yesterday was Leo. (that is the object) |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Defining Relative Clauses — Pronouns | |
who | Used for people: The person who inspired me was Leo. |
which | Used for things: The café which he opened is nearby. |
that | Used for people and things (informal): The man that I met. The book that I read. |
whose | Used for possession: The barista whose coffee won an award. |
When Can You Omit the Pronoun?
📚 When Can You Omit the Pronoun? | |
Subject pronoun — cannot omit | The man who gave me coffee is Leo. (who = subject) |
Object pronoun — CAN omit | The man [who/that] I met is Leo. (I = subject, man = object) |
Test | Ask: Is the relative pronoun the subject or object of its clause? |
Defining vs. Non-Defining Clauses
📚 Defining vs. Non-Defining Clauses | |
Defining (essential) | The café that Leo opened is famous. (tells us WHICH café — essential info) |
Non-defining (extra info) | Café Colibri, which Leo opened last year, is famous. (commas; extra detail) |
Key difference | Non-defining uses commas; cannot use "that"; can be removed. |
🎭 Dialogue: Tell Me About Them
Priya asks Maya about the people who have influenced her most. Maya catches a half-formed thought from Priya and turns it into a quote she wants to remember.
Maya, who is the person who has influenced you most?
That's difficult. Leo is the person who made my first month here bearable.
The café that he opened has been important for all of us.
Exactly. And Jess — she's the colleague who found the job that brought me here.
Do you think she knew it would change your life?
I don't think anyone who makes those calls knows. They just make them.
That's the thing about people who care — they act without knowing the impact.
That's a quote that I want to write down immediately.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What does Maya say about Leo?
What does she say about Omar that she finds both difficult and good?
Why does Maya describe Jess as 'the catalyst'?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Join: 'Leo is a barista. He changed Maya's life.'
Join: 'The café is on Queen Street. It won an award.'
Join: 'Jess found an opportunity. It changed everything.'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: Describe 3 people who are important in your life using defining relative clauses.
- Student B: Ask follow-up questions that also include relative clauses: Is that the person who…? Is this the same place that…?
- Each description must include at least one relative clause with who, which, or that.