Affirmative use of prétendre with subjunctive relative clause

Question

Pensée et Structure, copyright 1969 by John/Jean Darbelnet, a French textbook that has haunted me since 1971, distinguishes between using prétendre in the affirmative with the indicative and with the subjunctive - a distinction blessedly no longer "felt" by the modern Frenchman, or so I am told....

So, per this evidently out-of-date usage:

Il prétend qu'il a tout compris, c'est-a-dire, il affirme que.....

Il prétend qu'on ne fasse rien sans le consulter, c'est-a-dire, il exige que......

The text makes further such distinctions for comprendre, supposer, dire, et il me semble que. This can be found in numbered paragraph 215. My original copy was so marked up, I bought a second copy on Amazon.

I would love input from native French speakers....

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Max,
"Prétendre que" can be followed by Le Subjonctif or L'Indicatif whether it is used affirmatively, negatively, or interrogatively:
Il prétend qu'il a tout compris = He claims that he's understood everything -> affirmative / L'Indicatif 
Il ne prétend pas qu'il ait tout compris = He doesn't claim that he's understood everything -> Negative / Le Subjonctif
Prétend-il qu'il ait tout compris ? = Does he claim that he's understood everything? -> interrogative / Le Subjonctif
See links here on the different meanings of "prétendre": prétendre - Académie françáise   -   prétendre (under "CONSTRUCTION ET SENS")
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !