a customer which

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'a customer which' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring back to a specific customer previously mentioned in the sentence. For example, "The store recently welcomed a customer which bought several items from the store."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

"A while ago, an unlicensed attari sold madder instead of cinnamon to a customer, which caused poisoning.

The Guardian

(She said she was fired in February when the management accused her of overcharging a customer, which she denied).

The New York Times

"I'm not really selling myself to a customer, which I was doing when I was building their home," Bruce Leep said.

The New York Times

Every street corner has a shoe-shine man, always with a customer, which thankfully means they don't feel the need to tout (unlike in Asia, where they try to shine your shoes even if you're wearing flip-flops).

The Guardian - Travel

Usually it took one or two minutes to gather all of the information from a customer, which is typically a small business seeking help with using Intuit's accounting software.

The New York Times - Tech

If all research income, including QR, depends on winning grants and contracts, this will make it more unattractive - perhaps impossible - to do curiosity-driven research that does not have a customer, which QR has in the past enabled.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

The network effect, according to Wikipedia, "causes a good or service to have a value to a potential customer which depends on the number of other customers who own the good or are users of the service".

Forbes

For every service rendered by a firm there is a target customer, which needs to be identified in order to design a business strategy accordingly.

WikiHow

Kirsner knows that a happy customer is a return customer, which is why she introduced the Ritz-Carlton's STARS program, reserved exclusively for top trav- el agencies working with the company.

Forbes

Now he is spearheading Microsoft's fight against US government demands for access to emails from a Microsoft customer which are currently sitting on a server in Dublin, Ireland, as part of a narcotics investigation.

The Guardian - Tech

Bango provided a short statement, noting that Amazon is now a Bango customer, which makes it the third major customer to sign up for the mobile payments platform.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to a person, prefer using "who" instead of "which" for better grammatical clarity. While "a customer which" is not incorrect, "a customer who" often sounds more natural and appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "which" when referring to people. "Which" is typically used for inanimate objects or animals. Using "who" clarifies that you are referring to a person.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a customer which" functions as a noun phrase followed by a relative clause, modifying the noun "customer". The relative clause provides additional information about the customer. Ludwig's examples showcase its usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a customer which" is grammatically correct but less preferred than "a customer who" when referring to people. While usable, especially in certain contexts, it's important to consider the audience and level of formality. According to Ludwig, the phrase is common in News & Media and Science, but less so in formal business settings. When writing, using "who" for people provides better clarity, even though Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is perfectly usable. Alternatives include "a customer that" and "a client who", depending on the specific context and nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a client who

Replaces "which" with "who", more grammatically appropriate for referring to a person.

a customer that

Uses "that" instead of "which", providing a slightly less formal tone.

a patron who

Substitutes "customer" with "patron", implying a more loyal or regular customer.

an individual that

Replaces "customer" with "individual", offering a more generic and formal tone.

a buyer who

Uses "buyer" instead of "customer", focusing on the act of purchasing.

a consumer who

Employs "consumer" in place of "customer", emphasizing the consumption aspect.

a client that

Combines "client" with "that", resulting in a less formal tone than "client who".

an account which

Substitutes "customer" with "account", appropriate in business contexts.

a subscriber who

Uses "subscriber" instead of "customer", specific to subscription-based services.

a user who

Replaces "customer" with "user", common in the context of software or services.

FAQs

When should I use "a customer who" instead of "a customer which"?

When referring to a person, it's generally better to use "who" instead of "which". "Who" is a relative pronoun specifically used for people, while "which" is typically used for things. Therefore, "a customer who" is usually the more appropriate choice.

What are some alternative ways to phrase "a customer which"?

You could use phrases like "a client who", "a customer that", or "an individual who", depending on the context and desired level of formality.

Is "a customer which" grammatically incorrect?

While not strictly incorrect, using "which" to refer to a person is generally discouraged in favor of "who". Ludwig AI confirms that "a customer which" is usable, but it's important to consider the audience and context. In formal writing, "who" is almost always preferred.

Can I use "that" instead of "which" in the phrase "a customer which"?

Yes, "that" is often a suitable alternative. "A customer that" is grammatically correct and can be used in many contexts, especially in less formal writing. However, "who" remains the most appropriate choice when referring to a person.