claim

Question

1. I don't claim to be an expert.2. I don't claim that I am an expert.3. The first name he claims to have pulled out of the phone book is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.4. The first name he claims that he has pulled out of the phone book is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.Q) I changed #1 to #2, and #3 to #4. Do number #2 and 4 sound okay considering their original forms: #1, and #3?

Hrsanei · Accepted Answer

Hi,
They are grammatically correct with identical meaning.
Hamid

CalifJim · Answer

moon7296Do number #2 and 4 sound okay

#2 gives the same meaning as #1.
To get the same meaning in #4 and in #3, I would omit "has".

Usually:

(Subject) claim(s) to X ~ (Subject) claim(s) that (subject) X(s).
(Subject) claim(s) to have Xed ~ (Subject) claim(s) that (subject) Xed.

Example:

Susan claims to have seen Jack at the baseball game.
~ Susan claims that she saw Jack at the baseball game. (I would not use "has seen" here.)

When auxiliary have occurs in a non-finite form, it is usually equivalent in some way to a backshift (present to past or, optionally, past to past perfect).

They claimed to have lost their homework.
~ They claimed that they (had) lost their homework.

CJ

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