The apples that grow in Washington are always excellent. The books for my chemistry class are more expensive than my car. A and an are never used with non-countable nouns. If the noun is general, representing an abstract concept, it will not have an article. If the noun is a specific, particular case of an abstract concept, it will use the article the .
Compassion is an important characteristic in a doctor.
The compassion she possesses helps her patients recover. Victory is sweetest when you are expected to lose. The victory came at the cost of our team s reputation. He drank a large soda . She folded a piece of paper .