Keith,
I think the easiest way to explain this is that both these keys
modify the keys pressed with them, but they are different
modifiers.

          Shift is the same kind of thing but folks are more used
to that idea.

Think of it this way, Shifting any other key makes the character
the keyboard sends to the computer different, it becomes "upper
case."

In the same way, alt and control keys modify this character so
that there are actually several different characters for each
regular key you can press.  There is a character for example that
is a regular "a" then there is a character for shift "a" then a
character for alt "a" etc.

Actually these changes can be combined so that shift alt control
"A" is also a unique character.

If the student wants reasons why the different modifiers are used
in different situations, tell him/her to take up the history of
the computer.

Hope that is clear!

Tom Fowle
smith-Kettlewell Rehab Eng Center.



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