Pretend means to behave as if something is true when it isn't: He pretended to be asleep. Children use pretend for make-believe games: Let's pretend we're pirates. It doesn't mean trying to get a position or saying something is yours by right: to try to get a job is to apply for a job, and to demand something as your right, such as an inheritance, is to claim it.
pretend: will you get the meaning right?
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pretend + to + verb; pretend (that) + clause; pretend to be + adjective/noun; apply for + a job/position (not pretend to); claim + an inheritance/a right
- I pretended to be busy so that nobody would ask me to stay late.
- She smiled and pretended that everything was fine, but she was really upset.
- My kids like to pretend the sofa is a boat and the floor is the sea.
What changed
First versionFive people are pretending to the job of team leader.
RevisionFive people are applying for the job of team leader.
In some languages a word like pretend means to compete for a position, so pretending to the job can seem right. But pretend means to act as if, so it sounds as if the five people are only faking it. When you send an application for a job, a university place or a visa, say apply for: apply for a job, apply for a visa.
In negative sentences, pretend comes close to the idea of claiming: I don't pretend to know everything means “I don't claim to know everything”. People say this modestly, to make clear they don't see themselves as experts: I don't pretend to be an expert, but this plan looks risky.
Your turn
Maria has five years of experience, so she's going to ___ for the head of department job.
Show the answer
apply — Maria is going to send an application for the job, which is apply for. Pretend for isn't used in English: pretend means to act as if something is true, and there's no idea of an application in it.
Think of a time when you pretended to understand something that you didn't really understand. Say where it happened and why you pretended.
At my first meeting in London, I pretended to understand the jokes because I didn't want to look lost.
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