Toronto, Which I Now Call Home
Non-defining relative clauses — and where, when, whose. Maya writes home to her parents, describing the friends and the city that have changed her.
📖 Reading: A Letter Home
Dear Mum and Dad,
I'm writing from Café Colibri, which has become my second home here in Toronto.
You've asked me several times about my friends here, so let me tell you about them.
Leo, who owns the café, is one of the kindest people I have ever met. His grandmother, whose recipes inspired the menu, passed away last year. He carries her memory in everything he does.
Omar, whose dedication to medicine is truly extraordinary, has just passed his first major exams. He studies in the café every Sunday — the table by the window, where the light is best, is always reserved for him.
Priya, who recently completed a half-marathon, has become my running partner. We run every Tuesday morning through Riverdale Park, where the city looks most beautiful at dawn.
And then there's Jess, who called me eighteen months ago and told me about this job. She visits in December, which is a month I always look forward to now.
Toronto, which I was so afraid of when I arrived, has become the place where I feel most like myself.
I miss you. But I am happy. And I think that, for now, is everything.
All my love, Maya
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| extraordinary | Very unusual or remarkable | adj. — His dedication is truly extraordinary. |
| reserve | To keep something for a particular person or purpose | v. — The table is always reserved for him. |
| dawn | The time of day when light first appears in the sky | n. — The city looks beautiful at dawn. |
| dedicate | To devote time or effort to something | v. — He is dedicated to medicine. |
| carry | To keep something within yourself (emotional sense) | v. — He carries her memory in everything. |
| recipe | Instructions for cooking a dish | n. — His grandmother's recipes inspired the menu. |
| look forward to | To feel excited about a future event | v. — December is a month she looks forward to. |
| bearable | Just about possible to tolerate; manageable | adj. — Leo made her first month here bearable. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
where (places) | The table where he studies is by the window. |
when (times) | December, when Jess visits, is my favourite month. |
whose (possession) | Leo, whose grandmother inspired the menu, is kind. |
which (things, non-defining) | The café, which is my second home, is on Queen Street. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Non-Defining Relative Clauses — Rules | |
Always use commas | Leo, who owns the café, is kind. |
Cannot use "that" | Leo, which... ✗ / The café, which... ✓ |
Extra information only | Remove the clause and the sentence still makes sense. |
Cannot omit the pronoun | Leo, who is kind, runs the café. (NOT: Leo, is kind, runs the café.) |
Where, When, and Whose
📚 Where, When, and Whose | |
where (place) | The park, where we run every morning, is beautiful. |
when (time) | December, when Jess visits, is a special month. |
whose (possession) | Leo, whose grandmother inspired the menu, cooks daily. |
Defining vs. Non-Defining — Summary
📚 Defining vs. Non-Defining — Summary | |
Defining (no commas) | The man who gave me the coffee was Leo. (tells us WHICH man) |
Non-defining (with commas) | Leo, who is very kind, runs the café. (adds extra detail about Leo) |
🎭 Dialogue: Tell Me More
Leo catches Maya finishing her letter home. She reads him a few of the lines she wrote about him, Omar, and the café.
Maya, you're writing a letter. To your parents?
Yes. I'm trying to describe you all. It's harder than I thought.
What did you write about me?
I said you were one of the kindest people I've ever met. And I mentioned your grandmother, whose recipes inspired the menu.
That's… thank you. What about Omar?
I said he was the person whose dedication was extraordinary.
Ha! He'd like that. And the café?
I wrote: "Café Colibri, which has become my second home, is where I feel most like myself."
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What does Maya say about Leo's grandmother?
Where does Omar always sit in the café?
Where do Maya and Priya run on Tuesday mornings?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Add commas: 'Café Colibri which is on Queen Street has won an award.'
Add commas: 'Omar whose exams are in March studies ten hours a day.'
Add commas: 'January when Maya arrived in Toronto is always cold.'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: Write 3 sentences about people in your life using non-defining relative clauses.
- Student B: Listen, then report them back using the same structure.
- Then swap. Each sentence must use a different relative pronoun: who, which, whose, where, or when.