Good question. The sea is a region or space and requires the definite or indefinite article. However, water is an agent or material and is preceded by the null article. Other examples of agency or material are I am flying by airplane, he was happy in life and at peace in death, or they have their names carved in stone.
The sea is a definite article, water is not. When you're talking about a specific bit of water you'd say "the water" - "the shark was in the water" and when talking about an unspecific bit of the sea you'd say "sea" - "sharks are sea creatures".
The sea, like the sun or the moon, are considered as unique and deserve a definite article.
Sex is not, and neither is water, they are generic.
And I did say "considered as", language is not a clone copy of reality but a subjective approach. This is why you can also consider "sea" as countable, and talk about "the seven seas".
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Good question. The sea is a region or space and requires the definite or indefinite article. However, water is an agent or material and is preceded by the null article. Other examples of agency or material are I am flying by airplane, he was happy in life and at peace in death, or they have their names carved in stone.
The sea is a definite article, water is not. When you're talking about a specific bit of water you'd say "the water" - "the shark was in the water" and when talking about an unspecific bit of the sea you'd say "sea" - "sharks are sea creatures".
The sea, like the sun or the moon, are considered as unique and deserve a definite article.
Sex is not, and neither is water, they are generic.
And I did say "considered as", language is not a clone copy of reality but a subjective approach. This is why you can also consider "sea" as countable, and talk about "the seven seas".
You can say 'sharks live in the water' too.
English is a strange language.