"pretend to have" vs "pretending to have"

Question

"pretend to have" vs "pretending to have"

Both 'pretend to have' and 'pretending to have' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Pretend to have' is used when talking about a specific action someone is pretending to do, while 'pretending to have' is used when describing an ongoing or continuous state of pretending.

Last Updated: March 15, 2024

This phrase is used when referring to a specific action that someone is pretending to do. It is followed by the object of the pretense.

Examples:

She pretended to have a headache to get out of the meeting.
He pretended to have a broken leg to avoid going to school.
The child pretended to have superpowers while playing with his friends.

Alternatives:

feign having
act like they have
simulate having
make believe they have
fake having

This phrase is used when describing an ongoing or continuous state of pretending. It is followed by the object of the pretense.

Examples:

She was pretending to have a headache all day.
He is pretending to have a broken leg to get sympathy.
The actor was pretending to have amnesia in the movie scene.

Alternatives:

acting like they have
feigning having
simulating having
making believe they have
faking having

Answer 1

pretend to have

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

pretending to have

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"pretend to have" vs "pretending to have"

pretend to have

pretending to have

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