which itself was

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "which itself was" is perfectly correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to link two ideas that share a common thread. For example, "I was invited to a charity event, which itself was a huge honor."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

That was a 7.7 percent increase from 2009, which itself was 5.1 percent higher than 2008.

The New York Times

A few days later, it deleted all the reviews for the case, which itself was listed as unavailable.

The New York Times - Tech

Even the State Bank had to be sold to the Commonwealth Bank, which itself was privatized a short while later.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It proved to be a poor deal for Compaq, which itself was acquired later by Hewlett-Packard.

The New York Times

The Tu B'Shevat seder was followed by a vegetarian dinner, which itself was followed by a lot of schmoozing.

The New York Times

Kosovo, which borders Albania, was a province of Serbia, which itself was a part of Yugoslavia (1929 2003).

Encyclopedia Britannica

They remain below the investment firm's offer price of $43, which itself was the bottom of the expected range.

The New York Times

Deliveries in 1999 ran 2percentt ahead of 1998, which itself was 3percentt ahead of 1997.

The New York Times

In 1995, what was then called Chemical bought Chase, which itself was struggling to meet profit goals.

The New York Times

Heywoods was taken over by Martins Bank in 1883 which itself was bought by Barclays in 1968.

The Guardian - Business

Among the parties filing anti-trust complaints against Google in Europe is Microsoft, which itself was the target of US anti-trust action in the 1990s.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "which itself was" to clearly connect a secondary characteristic or event to a preceding one, ensuring a smooth flow of information. For example, "The company acquired a smaller firm, "which itself was" a leader in innovation."

Common error

Avoid using "which itself was" in simple sentences where a direct connection is more efficient. For example, instead of "The project had a tight deadline, which itself was challenging", consider "The project had a tight, and thus challenging, deadline."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "which itself was" functions as a non-restrictive relative clause, adding extra information or detail about a noun or noun phrase mentioned earlier in the sentence. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Science

28%

Encyclopedias

19%

Less common in

Wiki

9%

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "which itself was" serves as a useful tool for adding extra details and linking related concepts in a sentence. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used across varied sources. It functions as a non-restrictive relative clause and is suitable for neutral to slightly formal writing. When writing, use this phrase to enhance understanding, but be careful not to overuse it in simple sentences where directness is more effective. Remember that the intention is to bridge pieces of information by emphasizing shared traits or links, enriching context and facilitating smoother reading.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

that in turn was

Focuses on the sequential aspect of the relationship.

that was also

Simplifies the phrasing to highlight a secondary characteristic.

which in turn had been

Highlights a chain of events leading back to an initial state.

which in turn became

Focuses on a transformational sequence.

that also happened to be

Emphasizes the coincidental nature of the related characteristic.

that, furthermore, was

Adds an additional detail that supports the main subject.

that equally was

Demonstrates the subject has an equal position to the previous subject.

subsequently

Shorten the pharse and keep the idea of what happen before.

and that too was

Add emphasis about the idea that the last subject shared a similar state.

what also was

Shows that the shared state has an importance.

FAQs

How can I use "which itself was" in a sentence?

Use "which itself was" to connect two related pieces of information, where the second provides additional context about the first. For instance, "The initial investment yielded substantial returns, "which itself was" reinvested in new ventures."

What are some alternatives to "which itself was"?

Alternatives include "that in turn was", "that also was", or "that too was", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to use "which itself was"?

While generally acceptable, overuse of "which itself was" can make your writing sound repetitive. Consider if a simpler construction might be more effective in certain contexts.

What is the difference between "which itself was" and "which was"?

"Which was" simply provides additional information, while "which itself was" emphasizes that the additional information also possesses a particular quality or state, related back to the initial subject.