The SQL LIKE operator is used in a WHERE clause to search for a specified pattern in a column. Here are the evaluations of the options:
* A: The pattern ' % a % ' will match any customer names that contain the letter 'a' anywhere in the name, not necessarily those starting with 'Ma'.
* B: This is correct as 'Ma%' will match any customer names that start with 'Ma'.
* C: In SQL, the wildcard character is '%' not '*', therefore, the pattern 'Ma' is incorrect.
* D: This is the correct syntax. 'UPPER (customer_ name ) LIKE 'MA%'' will match customer names starting with 'Ma' in a case-insensitive manner.
* E: Again, '*' is not a valid wildcard character in SQL.
* F: The character '&' is not a wildcard in SQL.
* G: The operator 'KIKE' is a typo, and '.Ma' is not valid SQL pattern syntax.