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 • 1249 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"pretend to have"

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.

Show examples from the web [+]

assume. verb. to pretend to have a particular feeling or attitude ... put on. to pretend to have a particular feeling or a particular way of speaking or behaving ...
Abel DOES NOT pretend to have shame. He is saying that he isn't like the girl he is sleeping with. She pretends to have shame e.g She hates him when she's ...
Apr 29, 2015 ... Introducing the “Selfie Arm,” the Best Way to Pretend to Have Friends. By Laura Bradley. selfiearm3_1. Photo by Aric Snee. Finally, an invention ...
Watch man pretend to have won an Oscar and be treated like an A-lister. 15:01, 2 March 2015; By Abi Wilkinson ...

Alternatives:

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

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"pretending to have"

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.

Show examples from the web [+]

May 5, 2015 ... Noam Chomsky undresses Sam Harris: Stop “pretending to have a rational discussion”. The new atheist tries to "engineer a public ...
A woman in Tennessee, Keele Maynor, was recently arrested for pretending to have breast cancer for several years. The charges are theft and forgery.
Oct 28, 2014 ... then you have taken on the identity of: BROKE 20SOMETHING PRETENDING TO HAVE LOTS OF MONEY. And like me, you play that role like ...
Pretending to Have a Boyfriend When Duty Calls. Posted: 12/16/2014 5:48 pm EST Updated: 02/15/2015 5:59 am EST ...

Alternatives:

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

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pretend to have vs pretending to have

"pretend to have"

"pretending to have"

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