Is "Claims to be" correct?

[Rick Santos]

The electronics company has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs less than 11 ounces.
A. to be the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, and it weighs
B. to be the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing
C. is the smallest network digital camcorder in the world, which is as long as a handheld computer, and it weighs
D. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs
E. is the world’s smallest network digital camcorder, the length of which is that of a handheld computer, weighing

"Claims is " is this correct?

[tathagat]

D appears to be gramatically the best. I would go with D.
But surprisingly, what I read was that "claims to be" is the right idiom and not "claims is".

What do the experts say?

[goutham]

I was also under the impression that 'claims to be' is the correct idiom. Tutors?

[RA]

(D) appears to be the correct answer.

In (B) it is not clear whether "which" refers to camcorder or world. (D) by adding the conjunction "and" makes the last part of the sentence a dependent clause with "which" as the subject.

I would like to hear what experts have to say.

[manminder]

A is definitely not the answer as the use of it after and is unnecessary and not parallel with the length of which. it should have been the length of which X and weighs Y.

option D seems to rectify this but i have never heard of the usage claims is.


experts can you please shed some light on it :roll:

[Anil]

I feel D is right. I have heard this usage before (claims is..)

Bill Gates unveiled Vista, which he claims is the most user friendly Operating System Microsoft has ever made.

(please note that I simply conjured up this sentence for explanation's sake. Any actual statement made by the great man, resembling the above is purely coincidental)

Moreover, parallelism in D (...which is as long as a handheld computer and weighs...) is better than it is in B (...which is as long as a handheld computer, weighing...)

[Anil]

Also, "weighing" in B seems to modify the handheld computer not the camcorder....

[esledge]

On the idiom subject, both are possible, but it depends on the context.

X claims to be Y (and variations)
Laney claims to be an expert snowboarder.
Dr. Smith claims to be the inventor of the widget.
Company X claims to have been first to market.

X claims Z is Y (and variations)
Leo claims vanilla is the best ice cream flavor.
Vanilla is the ice cream flavor Leo claims is best.
Lydia claims the rumor is untrue.
The company unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest camcorder.