_The order of parsing an_ Article, is--an article, and why?--definite or
indefinite, and why?--with what noun does it agree?--RULE.
"He is _the_ son of _a_ king."
_The_ is an article, a word prefixed to a noun to limit its
signification--definite, it limits the noun to a particular object--it
belongs to the noun "son," according to
RULE 2. _The definite article_ the _belongs to nouns in the singular or
plural number_.
_A_ is an article, a word placed before a noun to limit its
signification--indefinite, it limits the noun to one of a kind, but to
no particular one--it agrees with "king," agreeably to
RULE 1. _The article_ a _or_ an _agrees with nouns in the singular
number only_.
NOTE. By considering the original meaning of this article, the
propriety of Rule 1, will appear. _A_ or _an_, (formerly written
_ane,)_ being equivalent to _one, any one_, or _some one_, cannot be
prefixed to nouns in the plural number. There is, however, an
exception to this rule. _A_ is placed before a plural noun when any
of the following adjectives come between the article and the noun:
_few, great, many, dozen, hundred, thousand, million_; as, _a_ few
_men, a_ thousand _houses_, &c.