Definite article for things in general

Question

I never thought that I was misusing definite articles until this exercise. Apparently, I either add a definitive article when it's not required or omit it when it is. Is there a rule that I'm missing with this?

For example: For "Asimismo, gobiernos y organizaciones trabajan en políticas para una gestión sostenible del agua.", I wrote: "Asimismo, LOS gobiernos y organizaciones trabajan en LAS políticas para una gestión sostenible del agua". Why shouldn't I use definite articles where I did?

Answer

Hola L. B.
Using or omitting definite articles in Spanish can indeed be tricky, as it depends on the context and whether you're speaking about things in general or specific entities. In this case, your use of "los gobiernos" and "las políticas" is valid and grammatically correct.
While the original sentence omits the definite articles for a more general statement, your version works as well because it emphasizes the specificity of the governments and policies.
We've reviewed your answer and accepted it as correct in the exercise, as both forms are acceptable depending on the intended nuance.
Saludos
Silvia