Is it compulsory to use articles, a, an, and the, with only countable nouns?

Jackson6612

Is it compulsory to use articles, a, an, and the, with only countable nouns?

Jackson6612

If what I'm saying is true then what is the reason for such a compulsion?

Jackson6612

And does it also mean no matter wherever a countable noun comes in a sentence you have to use a article with it?

Jackson6612

This is a apple. You mean a apple means one apple. So that means I cannot write: This is a one apple. Because such sentence will be redundant.
Question 1: Am I correct?

Yes. And it should be "an apple".

Jackson6612

I have eaten only a single apple. Here single also means one but I think it's a correct sentence.
Question 2: Why is so?

"Single" is just an adjective and does not posess the power of replacing articles. Such is English grammar: adjecives, whatever they mean, do not interfere with articles. In your example "single" serves as an amphasis (the sentence would still be OK without it), which explains the redundancy. The adjectives "great big" and "tiny little" also use redundancy to emphasize their effect. It is the only explanation I can think of.

Jackson6612

I couldn't come up with any example sentences right now. Please it will be very kind of you if you can provide some sentences yourself.

Well, I don't know what you don't know. So show me what it is.

GG, your post is just to the point. It's just that I do consider such nouns countable when they're used the way you showed. The very specifying of special properties makes these nouns refer to an instance of happiness or ecstasy, thus making them countable. What I wanted to say is, whenever the indefinite article is used, the following noun is either countable or plays a "countable" role.

Jackson6612

Ant, you mean that even article the is used with countable nouns or the nouns which are acting as countable nouns.

Yes, but it can be used with uncountable nouns as well. Countable (along the lines of GG's example): "The happiness that he had now was something he had never experiences before".

Uncountable: "Boil a litre of water, put 25 g of tea into an eathenware pot, pour the water onto the tea".

Jackson6612

And would you please give a short explanation of the underlined part

When you specify the properties of something referred to by a noun that usually has an abstract, categorical or very general meaning, that automatically changes the meaning of it so that it denotes a specific instance of that general category. For example, in GG's sentence, instead of the general happiness you have a specific happiness, experienced by a specific person.