pretend to (something)
To feign or claim to have some quality, skill, or characteristic. Jonathan pretends to the palate of a connoisseur, but really he's just pretentious. I like to write, but couldn't pretend to the kind of talent she has.
pretend to something
to claim to have a skill or quality. I can hardly pretend to the artistry that Wally has, but I can play the piano a bit. I can't pretend to that level of skill.