http://www.larrymilo.com/vova/Schaum...%20Grammar.pdf


CHAPTER 2
Nouns
33
"Nouns Used Only in the Singular

Some nouns in Russian, as in English, have only a singular form. These include the names of various materials and substances (e.g. English gold, straw), abstract nouns denoting various qualities and properties (e.g., English courage, devotion), as well as collective nouns, i.e., those that, while singular in form,denote a collection of people or things viewed as a whole (e.g., English youth, mankind, furniture). In many instances, the same nouns are treated as “singular only” in both English and Russian.

There are some nouns, however, that in English are often used in the plural, but whose equivalents in Russian are collective nouns, e.g., English clothes, dishes, and various nouns denoting fruits and vegetables, e.g., strawberries,potatoes, peas.

Below are examples of Russian nouns from various categories used only in the singular. Special note should be taken of those collective nouns that are used with the plural form in English, but in Russian are used only in the singular.

Materials and Substances
де´рево wood
молоко´ milk
зо´лото gold
шокола´д chocolate
соло´ма straw
ма´сло butter
желе´зо iron
са´хар sugar
ста´ль steel
ри´с rice

Abstract Nouns Denoting Qualities, Conditions, Sensations, etc.
че´стность honesty
све´тлость brightness
ло´жь falsehood
темнота´ darkness
доброта´ goodness
гру´сть sadness
го´ре grief
жара´ heat, hot weather

Collective Nouns Denoting People and Objects
молодёжь young people
оде´жда clothes
студе´нчество the students
о´бувь shoes, footwear
профессу´ра the professors
посу´да dishes
детвора´ children
бельё linen(s)
родня´ relatives
листва´ leaves, foliage

Collective Nouns Denoting Fruits and Vegetables
изю´м raisins
морко´вь carrots
виногра´д grapes
горо´х peas
клубни´ка strawberries
капу´ста cabbage
мали´на raspberries
лу´к onions
ежеви´ка blackberries
карто´фель potatoes
ви´шня cherries
крупа´ groats

Note that for some of these nouns denoting fruits and vegetables the suffix -ина can be added to the noun to express “a raisin,” “a grape,” etc.:
изю´мина a raisin,
виногра´дина a grape,
горо´шина а pea,
карто´фелина (or the colloquial noun карто´шка) a potato.

Note also the suffix -ка in морко´вка a carrot (and similarly, шокола´дка a chocolate).

Along with the noun лу´к onions, there is the related word лу´ковица an onion. To denote “a strawberry,” “a raspberry,” one can use the word я´года berry, e.g., я´года клубни´ки a strawberry; alternatively, the word шту´ка item may be used to express one or more individual pieces, e.g., Да´йте лу´ку, три´ шту´ки, пожа´луйста Give me some onions, three (pieces) please.

Note also that a collective noun requires singular agreement. For example, a modifying adjective must agree in singular number and in gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter adjective endings are, respectively, -ый, -ая, and -ое).
Э´то вку´сный виногра´д. These are tasty grapes.
Э´то све´жая клубни´ка. These are fresh strawberries.
Э´то чи´стое бельё. These are clean linens.

Also, a predicate verb must agree in the singular.
Оде´жда лежи´т на крова´ти. The clothes are lying on the bed.
(The form лежи´т is the third-person singular, present tense form of the verb лежа´ть to lie.)"