Is it compulsory to use articles, ''a'', an, and the, with only countable nouns? If what I'm saying is true then what is the reason for such a compulsion? And does it also mean no matter wherever a countable noun comes in a sentence you have to use a article with it?
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Comments
Question 1: Am I correct?
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?
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.
Best wishes,
Jackson
"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. Well, I don't know what you don't know. So show me what it is.
He experienced a happiness never before experienced by man. (What sort of happiness? One that was never experienced before.)
She experienced the ecstacy that comes to those who have worked hard to obtain their dreams and see them realized. (What type of ecstacy? The type that...)
You would not say "He had a happiness" or "She experienced an ecstacy," however. These work only because of the additional information saying what sort.
Did that make things worse?
Uncountable: "Boil a litre of water, put 25 g of tea into an eathenware pot, pour the water onto the tea". 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.