pretend
pretends
pretending
pretended
Pretend means to act as if something is true when it isn't. Regular verb: pretend-pretended-pretended.
Meanings
- To act as if true
- To make believe
- To claim falsely
Common Collocations
pretend to be
just pretending
pretend nothing happened
stop pretending
Tip for Learners
Pretend is followed by infinitive. "Let's pretend we're explorers."
Present Simple
| I | pretend |
| you | pretend |
| he/she/it | pretends |
| we | pretend |
| they | pretend |
Examples - Present Simple
- I pretend to be interested.
- You pretend you don't know.
- She pretends to sleep.
- We pretend nothing happened.
- They pretend to work.
Present Continuous
| I | am pretending |
| you | are pretending |
| he/she/it | is pretending |
| we | are pretending |
| they | are pretending |
Examples - Present Continuous
- I am pretending to read.
- You are pretending to listen.
- She is pretending to sleep.
- We are pretending to agree.
- They are pretending to work.
Present Perfect
| I | have pretended |
| you | have pretended |
| he/she/it | has pretended |
| we | have pretended |
| they | have pretended |
Examples - Present Perfect
- I have pretended too long.
- You have pretended to care.
- She has pretended to sleep.
- We have pretended to agree.
- They have pretended to work.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been pretending |
| you | have been pretending |
| he/she/it | has been pretending |
| we | have been pretending |
| they | have been pretending |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been pretending all day.
- You have been pretending for weeks.
- She has been pretending to sleep.
- We have been pretending to agree.
- They have been pretending to work.
Past Simple
| I | pretended |
| you | pretended |
| he/she/it | pretended |
| we | pretended |
| they | pretended |
Examples - Past Simple
- I pretended not to notice.
- You pretended to care.
- She pretended to sleep.
- We pretended to agree.
- They pretended to work.
Past Continuous
| I | was pretending |
| you | were pretending |
| he/she/it | was pretending |
| we | were pretending |
| they | were pretending |
Examples - Past Continuous
- I was pretending to read.
- You were pretending to listen.
- She was pretending to sleep.
- We were pretending to agree.
- They were pretending to work.
Past Perfect
| I | had pretended |
| you | had pretended |
| he/she/it | had pretended |
| we | had pretended |
| they | had pretended |
Examples - Past Perfect
- I had pretended all along.
- You had pretended to care.
- She had pretended to sleep.
- We had pretended to agree.
- They had pretended to work.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been pretending |
| you | had been pretending |
| he/she/it | had been pretending |
| we | had been pretending |
| they | had been pretending |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been pretending for years.
- You had been pretending to care.
- He had been pretending to sleep.
- We had been pretending to agree.
- They had been pretending to work.
Future Simple
| I | will pretend |
| you | will pretend |
| he/she/it | will pretend |
| we | will pretend |
| they | will pretend |
Examples - Future Simple
- I will pretend to be happy.
- You will pretend to care.
- She will pretend to sleep.
- We will pretend to agree.
- They will pretend to work.
Future Continuous
| I | will be pretending |
| you | will be pretending |
| he/she/it | will be pretending |
| we | will be pretending |
| they | will be pretending |
Examples - Future Continuous
- I will be pretending to work.
- You will be pretending to care.
- He will be pretending to sleep.
- We will be pretending to agree.
- They will be pretending to work.
Future Perfect
| I | will have pretended |
| you | will have pretended |
| he/she/it | will have pretended |
| we | will have pretended |
| they | will have pretended |
Examples - Future Perfect
- I will have pretended long enough.
- You will have pretended to care.
- She will have pretended to sleep.
- We will have pretended to agree.
- They will have pretended to work.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been pretending |
| you | will have been pretending |
| he/she/it | will have been pretending |
| we | will have been pretending |
| they | will have been pretending |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been pretending for years.
- You will have been pretending to care.
- He will have been pretending to sleep.
- We will have been pretending to agree.
- They will have been pretending to work.