> But "a" and "the" aren't used orthogonally -- they interfere with each other. The semantic "a" and thematic "the" don't interfere with each other, and can be

> But "a" and "the" aren't used orthogonally -- they interfere with each other. The semantic "a" and thematic "the" don't interfere with each other, and can be taught separately. Perhaps you're thinking of their influence on the end grammar of the sentence. > They participate in the grammatical structure of English in exactly the same way. Not exactly the same. As I said above, the "the" overlays onto the grammatical structure after the "a" does. > If you want a more focused reply, I need you to explain what you're talking about at greater length. What makes you think I want your replies? I never replied to you initially.