Is It a Verb? Is It a Noun? It's a Gerund! (possessive case before a gerund)

Pat sent me a cartoon in which the character says, "I'm interested in you becoming a better person."  She had underlined the word "you" and asked if it should be "your." I'll answer her question in this post. Thanks, Pat!

A verbal is a word which is derived from a verb but used as another part of speech. It functions in a sentence as that part of speech, yet it retains the characteristics of a verb; i.e., it expresses action or being; has tense and voice; can have a subject, object, or complement; and can be modified by an adverb or an adverbial phrase. The verbals in this post will be in the active voice unless otherwise stated. A verbal cannot be the predicate in a sentence. There are three kinds of verbals: infinitives, participles, and gerunds.

An infinitive is a verbal that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. It usually begins with the preposition "to." An infinitive can have a subject only
when that infinitive functions as a noun and is used as an object. When an infinitive has a subject, the subject is in the objective case. Infinitives have two tenses: present and present perfect.
Here are some sentences containing infinitives:
        1. TO PLAY baseball professionally was his lifelong dream. (The
            present infinitive, "to play," used as a noun, is the subject of the sentence.
            As a verbal, it takes a direct object, "baseball," and is modified by the
            adverb "professionally.")
        2. My favorite time TO WALK in the park is early evening. (The present
            infinitive, "to walk," used as an adjective, modifies the noun "time." As a
            verbal, it is modified by the adverbial phrase "in the park.")
        3. I went to the restaurant TO MEET my friends. (The present infinitive,
            "to meet," used as an adverb, modifies the verb "went." As a verbal, it
            takes a direct object, "friends.")
        4. The coach expected his team TO WIN the game. (The present infinitive,
            "to win," used as a noun, is the direct object of the verb "expected." As
            a verbal, it has a subject, "team," and a direct object, "game.")
        5. I am happy TO HAVE HEARD from him. (The infinitive, "to have heard,"
            is in the present perfect tense and is used as an adverb modifying the
            adjective "happy." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverbial phrase
            "from him.")
        6. I am proud TO HAVE MET him. (The infinitive, "to have met," is in the
            present perfect tense and is used as an adverb modifying the adjective
            "proud." As a verbal, it takes a direct object, "him.")
        7. The amount of work TO BE DONE today is overwhelming. (The present
             infinitive, "to be done," is in the passive voice and is used as an adjective
             modifying the noun "work." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverb
            "today.")
        8. We tried TO BE patient. (The present infinitive, "to be," used as a
            noun, is the direct object of the verb "tried." As a verbal, it is followed by
            a complement, the predicate adjective "patient.")

Sometimes the "to" is omitted in an infinitive, but only when the infinitive follows these verbs in the active voice: bid, dare, feel, hear, help, let, make, see, and watch. An example is the song title "Let It Be," which contains the infinitive "(to) be."
In each of the following sentences the "to" is omitted from the infinitive:
        1. They bade us ENTER their home.
        2. I don't dare TELL you the news.
        3. I did not feel the nurse GIVE me the injection.
        4. We heard the teacher ANNOUNCE our names.
        5. She helped me CLEAR the table.
        6. Will your parents let you GO to the party?
        7. The heavy traffic made her ARRIVE late.
        8. I just saw him STEP outside.
        9. She watched the children PLAY.
In the above sentences, did you notice that each infinitive, except in sentence 2,
has a subject, and that each subject is in the objective case? The subjects of the infinitives in the above sentences are:
1.us 3.nurse 4.teacher 5.me 6.you 7.her 8.him 9.children
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective. In its present form it ends in
"ing." As an adjective, a participle modifies a noun or a pronoun. It may occur
alone, as in "a crying baby" or "a broken window," as well as with modifiers in a participial phrase. As verbals, participles have three tenses: present, past, and present perfect. A participle does not have a subject, but it is understood that the noun or pronoun it modifies is the subject of the verb from which the participle is derived.
Here are some sentences with participles:
        1. The person ANSWERING the phone was very friendly. (The present
            participle, "answering," is used as an adjective modifying the noun
            "person." As a verbal, it takes a direct object, "phone.")
        2. The FRIGHTENED woman screamed for help. (The past participle,
            "frightened," is in the passive voice and modifies the noun "woman.")
        3. WALKING quickly, they arrived on time. (The present participle,
             "walking," modifies the pronoun "they." As a verbal, it is modified by
             the adverb "quickly.")
        4. HAVING ACCEPTED the challenge, we were determined to succeed.
            (The participle, "having accepted," is in the present perfect tense and
            modifies the pronoun "we." As a verbal, it takes a direct object,
            "challenge.")
        5. As we lay in our tents, we heard the waves CRASHING on the shore.
            (The present participle, "crashing," modifies the noun "waves." As a
            verbal, it is modified by the adverbial phrase "on the shore.")
        6. CONFUSED by the instructions, the child asked for help. (The past
            participle, "confused," is in the passive voice and modifies the noun
            "child." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverbial phrase "by the
            instructions.")
       7. BEING SEEN from the air, the city was impressive. (The present
           participle, "being seen," is in the passive voice, and it modifies the noun
           "city." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverbial phrase "from the air.")
       8. The statistics PRESENTED in the report were ASTONISHING to us.
           (The first participle, "presented," in the past tense and the passive voice,
           modifies the noun "statistics." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverbial  
           phrase "in the report." The second participle, "astonishing," in the present
           tense, also modifies the noun "statistics." It is a predicate adjective
           because it is part of the predicate but modifies the subject, being
           connected to it by the linking verb "were." As a verbal, it is modified by
           the adverbial phrase "to us.")
       9. She seemed PUZZLED by my question. (The past participle, "puzzled." is
           in the passive voice and modifies the pronoun "she." It is a predicate
           adjective because it is part of the predicate but modifies the subject, being
           connected to it by the linking verb "seemed." As a verbal, it is modified by
           the adverbial phrase "by my question.")

This is a good time to mention the dangling participle. When a participle is used
at the beginning of a sentence, we assume that the participle modifies the subject
of that sentence, which is usually the noun or pronoun nearest to the participial phrase. If the noun or pronoun it should modify is not the subject, or is missing
from the sentence, the participle dangles, and the meaning of the sentence is
unclear or even ludicrous.
Keep in mind that a participle is always an adjective, and must modify a noun or pronoun.
The following sentences contain dangling participles:
         1. ENTERING the house, the food smelled delicious.
         2. READING a good book, the evening passed pleasantly.
         3. LIVING in the town for many years, the streets were familiar.
         4. DRIVING through the countryside, the scenery was beautiful.
         5. BEING very shy, new situations make him uncomfortable.
         6. LOOKING at the stars, a meteor flashed across the heavens.
         7. CAMPING in the desert, the night sky was amazing.
         8. RETURNING the wallet, the owner gave him a reward.
         9. RUSTING in the shed for years, the owner of the bike is finally
             throwing it away.
In the above sentences, the introductory participial phrase and the noun or
pronoun immediately following it are not referring to the same person or thing.
As we rewrite the sentences, we must make sure that the participle logically
relates to the subject of the sentence. We can accomplish this either by putting
the doer of the participle's action into the subject place or by using an entirely
different construction.
The following are explanations and revisions of the above sentences:
         1. The first sentence implies that the food is entering the house. The
              participle, "entering," is dangling because, as an introductory
              participle, it should modify the subject, and the noun or pronoun it
              should modify is missing.
              ENTERING the house, THEY smelled the delicious food. 
         2. The second sentence implies that the evening was reading a good
              book. The participle, "reading," is dangling because, as an
              introductory participle, it should modify the subject, and the noun or
              pronoun it should modify is missing.
              READING a good book, SHE enjoyed a pleasant evening.
         3. The third sentence implies that the streets were living in the town. The
              participle, "living," is dangling because, as an introductory participle,
              it should modify the subject, and the noun or pronoun it should
              modify is missing.
              LIVING in the town for many years, SHE was familiar with the streets.
         4. The fourth sentence implies that the scenery was driving. The
              participle, "driving," is dangling because, as an introductory participle,
              it should modify the subject, and the noun or pronoun it should modify
              is missing.
              DRIVING through the countryside, WE admired the beautiful scenery.
         5. The fifth sentence implies that new situations are shy. The
              participle, "being," is dangling because the word it should modify is
              not the subject of the sentence..
              BEING very shy, HE is uncomfortable in new situations.
         6. The sixth sentence implies that a meteor was looking at the stars.
              The participle, "looking," is dangling because the word it should
              modify is missing.
              LOOKING at the stars, WE saw a meteor flash across the heavens.
         7. The seventh sentence implies that the night sky was camping in the
              desert. The participle, "camping," is dangling because the word it
              should modify is missing.
              CAMPING in the desert, THEY were amazed at the night sky.
         8. The eighth sentence implies that the owner returned the wallet. The
              participle, "returning," is dangling because the word it should
              modify is not the subject of the sentence.
              RETURNING the wallet, HE received a reward from the owner.
         9. The ninth sentence implies that the owner of the bike is rusting in the
              shed. The participle, "rusting," is dangling because the word it should
              modify is not the subject of the sentence.
              RUSTING in the shed for years, the bike is finally being thrown away.

        
Of the three kinds of verbals, the gerund is the easiest to recognize. IT IS
ALWAYS USED AS A NOUN, AND IT ALWAYS ENDS IN "ING."  As a noun,
it can function in a sentence in any way in which a noun can function, and it can be modified by an adjective or an adjective phrase. As a verbal, it expresses
action or being, has tense and voice, can have a subject, can be followed by a
direct object or a complement, and can be modified by an adverb or an adverbial phrase. The gerund has two tenses: present and present perfect.
THE SUBJECT OF A GERUND IS IN THE POSSESSIVE CASE. (You were right, Pat. The correct word was "your.")
The following sentences contain gerunds:
          1. Your COMPLAINING hasn't helped. (The present gerund, "complaining,"
              is used as the subject of the sentence. It is preceded by the possessive
              pronoun "your.")
          2. She was hurt about his FORGETTING her birthday. (The present
              gerund, "forgetting," is used as the object of the preposition "about." It is
              preceded by the possessive pronoun "his." As a verbal, it has a direct
              object, "birthday.")
          3. The teacher would accept no excuse for Dan's BEING late. (The present
               gerund, "being," is used as the object of the preposition "for." It is
               preceded by the possessive noun "Dan's." As a verbal, it has a
               complement, the predicate adjective "late.")
          4. Do you mind my GIVING a suggestion? (The present gerund, "giving,"
              is used as the direct object of the verb "do mind." It is preceded by the
              possessive pronoun "my." As a verbal, it has a direct object,
              "suggestion.")
          5. My HAVING READ the book discouraged me from SEEING the movie.
              (The first gerund, "having read," is in the present perfect tense and
              is used as the subject of the sentence. It is preceded by the possessive
              pronoun "my." As a verbal, it has a direct object, "book." The second
              gerund in the sentence, "seeing," is in the present tense and is used as
              the object of the preposition "from." As a verbal, it has a direct object,
              "movie.")
          6. My dogs enjoy PLAYING with children.( The present gerund, "playing,"
              is used as the direct object of the verb "enjoy." As a verbal, it is
              modified by the adverbial phrase "with children.")
          7. I was sorry to hear about your BEING INJURED in the accident. (The
              present gerund, "being injured," is in the passive voice. It is used as
              the object of the preposition "about." It is preceded by the possessive
              pronoun "your." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverbial phrase "in
              the accident.")
          8. He was praised for REMAINING calm in a difficult situation. (The
              present gerund, "remaining," is used as the object of the preposition
              "for." As a verbal, it has a complement, the predicate adjective "calm.")  
          9. The reclusive actor avoided BEING SEEN by reporters. (The present
              gerund, "being seen," is in the passive voice. It is used as the direct
              object of the verb "avoided." As a verbal, it is modified by the adverbial
              phrase "by reporters.")
        10. He was ashamed of HAVING BEEN INCARCERATED. (The gerund,
              "having been incarcerated," is in the present perfect tense and the
              passive voice. It is used as the object of the preposition "of.")
        11. We celebrated his BECOMING a citizen. (The present gerund,
              "becoming," is used as the direct object of the verb "celebrated." It is
              preceded by the possessive pronoun "his." As a verbal, it is followed by
              a complement, the predicate noun "citizen.")

Using the possessive before a gerund is easier to understand if you remember
that the gerund is a noun. A noun or pronoun occurring immediately before
another noun should be in the possessive case. As a verbal, the gerund is
derived from a verb, and the action of that verb is attributable to the noun or
pronoun which is its subject. Using the possessive form for the subject of the
gerund indicates that the subject is the doer of the verbal's action. In the
sentence "Jake's PLAYING loud music all night disturbed the neighbors," Jake
is the doer, so the action of the gerund is his. In the sentence "Sue's SKATING
was spectacular," Sue is the one who is skating, so the action is hers.

We've established that a noun or pronoun before a gerund is in the possessive
case. Here's a quick review of the rules for forming possessives:
          1. The possessive pronouns are: my, your, his, her, its, our, their, and
              whose. Keep in mind that these pronouns do not have apostrophes.
          2. The general rule for nouns is that they show possession by adding an
              apostrophe plus s to all nouns except plurals already ending in s, which
              add only an apostrophe.
              Here are some examples of nouns in the possessive form:
                            Singular                                             Plural          
                      the LAWYER'S car                         LAWYERS' fees
                      the MAN'S jeans                             MEN'S jeans
                      a CHILD'S book                              the CHILDREN'S library 
            When a singular noun ends in the sound of s, the same rule holds, unless
            adding another s would make the word hard to pronounce. When in
            doubt, say the possessive form to yourself, and then write it as you hear
            yourself pronounce it. In the list below, "Illinois" and "corps" do not end
            in the sound of s because the final consonant is silent in words from
            French, so there is no problem in adding another s.
                           Singular                                                     Plural
                 my BOSS'S office                                  the BOSSES' offices
                 the WITNESS'S statement                    the WITNESSES' statements
                 ULYSSES' wanderings (The fourth s    
                   can be left out because of the sound.)
                 ILLINOIS'S capital
                 the CORPS'S leader


P.S  After I posted this, I heard a politician on television say, "Defending
American values HAVE always been my top priority." Here I am, back at my
laptop, to tell you one more thing about gerunds.
Let's start with some general facts:
          1. Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate.
          2. The subject of a sentence is a noun or a pronoun.
          3. A gerund is a noun.
          4. The predicate of a sentence is a verb or a verb phrase.
          5. A verb agrees with its subject in person and number.
The subject of the politician's sentence quoted above is the gerund "defending,"
which is singular, so the predicate should be the singular verb "has." As a
verbal, "defending" has a direct object, "values," which is plural, and the word
"values" is the source of the error. A plural noun between the subject and predicate often causes problems with agreement.
In the following sentences, gerunds with plural objects are the subjects of
singular verbs:
            1. EATING fruits and vegetables IS beneficial to your health.
            2. COLLECTING stamps IS one of his hobbies.
            3. ATTENDING football games with his friends WAS his favorite activity
                  in college.
                .






 

If the Doorbell Rings Continuously, It Must Be Stuck (continually and continuously)

Some believe that these words are interchangeable. Those people probably won't be reading this blog, because to them language is strictly utilitarian, and questions about its nuances would probably elicit the response "Whatever." I (and those who read this blog,) believe that attention to the subtle differences between words helps to maintain the richness of our vocabulary.

The word "continual" is an adjective that means regularly repeated, recurrent, intermittent, recurring with occasional interruptions, or repeating at regular
intervals. It might be helpful to remember that there is an "al" at the end of both "continual" and "interval."  
Here are some sentences that use the adjective "continual" or the adverb
"continually" correctly:
            Her continual complaints were annoying to her colleagues.
            Our doorbell rings continually on Halloween.
            The child caused continual distractions in the classroom.
            Out trip took longer because we encountered continual roadwork.
            Throughout the speech there were continual interruptions for applause.
            She coughed continually during the night.

The adjective "continuous" means never-ending, unceasing, unbroken,
uninterrupted, or incessant. If something is continuous, there are no pauses or breaks.
The following sentences use "continuous" or "continuously" correctly:
            The siren sounded continuously for three minutes.
            We could hear the continuous hum of the power line.
            Our neighbors played loud music continuously for two hours.
            After days of continuous rain, the streets were flooded.

To visualize these words, first imagine an unbroken line (continuous), and then
think of a dotted line (continual).


Before I close, I'd like to submit these questions to those who say "Whatever":
            1. Would you like your watch to tick continually or continuously?
            2. Would you like the electric current in your home to run continually
                 or continuously?
            3. If you were being starved, would you prefer that the food deprivation
                  be continual or continuous?
            4. If you were in a band that was hired to perform continuously
                  from 9 to 11, should you be allowed to take a break during that time?
                

You May Have a Screw Loose, but Try Not to Lose Your Marbles (lose and loose)

Just one letter causes the confusion involving the words "lose" and "loose." That
pesky extra "o" keeps showing up where it doesn't belong! Most errors are made when people write "loose" when they think they're writing "lose."


About "loose": It's an adjective with many meanings, including unrestrained, free,
unfettered, unbound, and unconstrained. It's the opposite of tight, bound, and
fastened tightly. "Loose" rhymes with moose, noose, caboose, papoose, and vamoose, and it is used in such expressions as "on the loose," "let loose," and "hang loose." It can even denote moral decadence, as in "loose woman." (Are there any loose men?) The cliche "loose as a goose" can help you remember the spelling.


About "lose":  It's a verb that means to misplace, fail to keep, and fail to win. You
can lose your keys, your money, your mind, your temper, your job, as well as
weight, a game, or an opportunity. It rhymes with blues, bruise, chews, snooze,
and choose. The fact that "lose" rhymes with "choose" probably explains the addition of a second "o." The only word I can think of with a spelling and pronunciation that are similar to "lose" is "whose."

A way to remember "lose" is to think of it as a four-letter word. Its past-tense form, "lost," and the related noun "loss" also have four letters.



The following sentences use both words correctly:
                  If you LOSE weight too fast, you'll have LOOSE skin.
                  A LOOSE connection could cause you to LOSE your power.
                  You can LOSE your LOOSE change in the sofa cushions.
                  She may LOSE her dog if she continues to let him run LOOSE.
                  The child will LOSE his LOOSE tooth.

Frankly, My Dear, I'm Uninterested (disinterested and uninterested)

The difference between these two words lies not only in the prefixes, but in the meaning of the root word. In "disinterested" the root word "interest" refers to
personal advantage, while in "uninterested" it refers to concern. When people err with these words, they usually use the "dis" word when they should be using the "un" word.

The word "disinterested" has these meanings: dispassionate, not taking sides, impartial, neutral, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, not seeking one's own advantage, not influenced by self-interest, and not having a personal stake in the outcome. This word is used mainly to describe judges, lawyers, referees, umpires, mediators, and others who are expected to be fair. Its meaning is narrow, and its use is infrequent.
Here are some sentences that use "disinterested" correctly:
                     We've hired a referee who's known for being disinterested.
                     The dispute will be handled by a disinterested judge.
                     They chose a disinterested third party to decide.
                     A person who potentially profits from a decision cannot be
                        considered to be a disinterested negotiator.
                     The doctors treated all the victims with disinterested kindness.
                     She was chosen to be the mediator because she was disinterested.


The word "uninterested," in contrast, has a very clear meaning - NOT
INTERESTED! If I'm uninterested in something, I'm unconcerned, indifferent,
not paying attention, and simply without interest.
These sentences use "uninterested" correctly:
                      He was disappointed to learn that his boss was uninterested in
                         his idea.
                      Although she was uninterested in the topic, she patiently endured
                         listening to the lecture.    
                      I told her our plan, but she seemed uninterested.
                     The children were restless because they were uninterested in the
                         lesson.

It's possible to be DISinterested but not UNinterested. Have you ever watched a
great game when you didn't prefer either team? You were interested in the game but had no stake in the outcome. If you go to court, you expect the judge to be DISinterested but never UNinterested in your case.

If any confusion remains, when you're not sure which word to say, choose "uninterested." Don't use "disinterested" unless you're certain that you mean "impartial." You wouldn't want anyone to confuse your objectivity with your
lack of interest.


                                  

Get the Lead Out! (led and lead)

The word "lead," when pronounced like "feed," can be a noun, as in a dog's lead,
a lead in a play, a lead to solving a mystery, etc. In this post we'll concentrate on "lead" as a verb.

The verb "to lead" has these principal parts:
            (Today I) LEAD         (Yesterday I) LED            (Many times I have) LED
The past forms of "lead,"which remove the "a," are confused with the past forms of "read," which rhyme with "led" but keep the "a," as in:
           (Today I) READ         (Yesterday I) READ          (Many times I have) READ


Most of the confusion about the verb "to lead" comes from the fact that the past form has the same sound as the noun "lead" which names an element and rhymes with "bread." Sometimes the noun is erroneously substituted for the verb.

Perhaps these sentences will help you remember each word:
                FRED LED the SLED dogs to the SHED.
               They DREAD finding LEAD in the paint that was SPREAD on the wall.

These sentences use both words correctly:
                The new law LED to a drop in LEAD poisoning.
                In Browning, Montana, the factory that produced LEAD pencils LED
                    all other industries in employing the Blackfeet.


Just remember that the noun "lead' is a metal, and there is an "a" in "metal." The past form of the verb "to lead" has no "a."

Fewer Puppies-Less Poop (fewer and less, amount and number)

As the owner (mother, really) of two Jack Russell terriers who use a litter box,
I'm definitely qualified to talk about poop. Today our topic is the difference
between "fewer" and "less," which will be studied with "amount" and "number."

Before I begin, I'd like to call your attention to an addition I made to the
post "If I Were a Rich Man," which I hope will help to clarify the concept of grammatical mood. (Sometimes I add to earlier posts when ideas occur to me.)

We'll start with the concepts of amount and number.

The word "amount" refers to mass or quantity. It is used with things that are measured in bulk and cannot be counted in units. We use it with things such as these: bread, cheese, milk, rainfall, happiness, evidence, news, and
information, but it should NEVER be used with items that can be counted individually. It is INCORRECT to say that a large AMOUNT of people attended a concert; instead say a large NUMBER of people attended. The word "amount" is often followed by the preposition "of" before a singular noun, and it always takes a singular verb. (A large amount IS, not ARE...) The following sentences use "amount'" correctly:
           The amount of support he received astonished him.
           After the storm, a large amount of debris littered the streets.

The word "number" is used with items that can be counted, and it is followed by
a plural noun, naming persons, places, or things which are discrete and separable units.

The verb that follows "number" can be singular or plural. When the sentence
refers to the number itself, taken as a unit, and not to individuals being counted, the verb is singular. In such sentences, the word "number" is preceded by the definite article, "the."
These sentences use "number" followed by a singular verb:
            The number of applicants IS increasing.
            What IS the number of absent students?
 
After an indefinite article, "a" or "an," the word "number" refers to individual units and takes a plural verb. In the following sentences, "number" is used correctly:
             A number of the books ARE lost.
             An enormous number of homes HAVE been damaged by the flood.

Each of these sentences uses "amount" and "number" correctly:
            The NUMBER of calls we received reflects the AMOUNT of interest in
                 our plan.
             We'll have to buy a large AMOUNT of food for that NUMBER of guests.
             The NUMBER of coins she collected was worth a large AMOUNT of
                 money.
             The large NUMBER of acres that are burning requires a greater
                 AMOUNT of water.                                                                                 
In the above sentences, you can see that "amount" tells us how much, and "number" tells us how many.

These adjectives are used to describe "amount" and "number":
                               amount                                      number
                                 little                                           few
                                 less                                           fewer
                                 much                                         many
                                 more                                          more

In the above columns, notice that "fewer" is listed under "number." It is the comparative degree of the adjective "few," and, like "number," it is used with persons, places, and things that can be counted. "Fewer" modifies nouns that are plural.
Here are some sentences in which "fewer" is used correctly:
          Fewer than four boys arrived for practice.
          Fewer than twenty people responded to our email.
          We were disappointed to hear that fewer than five of us would be
             accepted.
          I lost fewer pounds on this diet than on the other one.
          My house has fewer square feet than yours.
          My new job has fewer days of vacation than my old job did.
          Do these cookies have fewer calories than those?

In the chart showing the adjectives that go with "amount" and "number," notice
that "less" is listed under "amount," in line with "fewer." It is the comparative degree of "little," and, unlike "fewer," it can be an adverb as well as an adjective. "Less" refers to degree, extent, or amount, and it modifies singular nouns that name uncountable things, such as luggage, furniture, courage, corn, excitement, paper, and supervision. Singular nouns preceded by "a" or "an" will not take "less." It uses a singular verb.
The following sentences use "less" correctly:
            This recipe is better for diabetics because it requires less sugar.
            The meteorologist forecasts less precipitation this winter.
            Did your doctor recommend that you eat less salt? 
            Newer appliances consume less energy than the older ones.

These statements show the difference between "fewer" and "less":
           1. Fewer" refers to a smaller number, and "less" refers to a smaller
                   amount.
           2. Less" means "not as much," and 'fewer" means "not as many."
           3. If you can count individual items, use "fewer," and if you can't,
                   use "less."

An AMOUNT of something can consist of a NUMBER of individual units, so you can have LESS of the amount and FEWER of the units, as in:
          LESS time, FEWER hours         LESS money, FEWER quarters
          LESS work, FEWER jobs          LESS candy, FEWER jelly beans
          LESS tonnage, FEWER ships   LESS manpower, FEWER men
          LESS light, FEWER bulbs         LESS postage, FEWER stamps
          LESS travel, FEWER trips         LESS laughter, FEWER laughs

Each of the following sentences uses "fewer' and "less" correctly:
             LESS effort was exerted, so FEWER results were achieved.
             She's trying to eat FEWER chips and drink LESS soda.
             The LESS money you have in your account, the FEWER
                 unnecessary purchases you should make.
             We had FEWER school cancellations this year because there was LESS
                 snow.
              She lost weight because she consumed LESS fat and FEWER calories.

In general, it's true that "less" is used only with singular nouns, but there is an exception: references to units of time, weight, distance, measurement, and
money, which are treated as amounts and not as individual counted units.
In these situations the plural noun is regarded as a single entity. "Less" is also
used with numbers used alone and with mathematical statements.
Here are some examples:
     less than an hour                less than five dollars       less than $100
     less than three miles           less than two minutes     less than twelve years old
     less than two cups of flour  less than two years ago  less than 2/3 of the vote
     less than 20 percent           less than five pounds      less than ten yards
                                                 4 is less than 8
                       
                                                                                            
P.S. The supermarket sign "10 Items or Less" is incorrect.
P.P.S. Don't forget that "fewer in number" is redundant.