Articles - need explanation for attached examples

[Zajac]

Hello!

I have read many books about articles "a/an/the/0" but I still have problems with correct usage of them. Could you explain me why we use articles in bracket in attached examples? Because in articles context is very important I’m sending you full text (with solution from answer key).

It has been announced that for (1) the third consecutive month there has been (2) a rise in (3) the number of (4) - unemployed, rather than (5) the fall that had been predicted. (6) The raise was blamed on (7) the continuing uncertainty over (8) - government economic policy, and couldn't come at (9) a worse time for (10) the Prime Minister, who is facing (11) - growing criticism over (12) the way (13) the present crisis being handled. (14) - MPs are increasingly voicing (15) - fears that despite (16) the recent devaluation of (17) the pound and cuts in (18) - interest rates, (19) the government still expects (20) the recovery of the economy to take three or four years. To make (21) - matters worse, (22) the number of small business going into (23) - liquidation is still at (24) a/- record level, and (25) the housing market is showing no signs of recovery. Somewhere backbenchers expect (26) a general election before (27) the end of (28) the winter unless there is (29) a rapid change of (30) - fortune.

Here is a list of my mistakes:
4 – the
7 – a
8 – the
9 – the
11 – a
20 – 0
24 – the
30 - the
Please explain me each of mistakes.

Thanks for help,
Zajac

[Jamie (K)]

Mr. Bunny --

Could you please try to boil down your post into a more general question or two about what you don't understand? You've got eight items for us to comment on, and each one could be a paragraph on its own. The teachers here are volunteers, so you need to help us out.

[Zajac]

Sorry for trouble :) I thought that it might help if I send you whole context.
The hardes part is this sentence:
(6) The raise was blamed on (7) the continuing uncertainty over (8) - government economic policy, and couldn't come at (9) a worse time for (10) the Prime Minister, who is facing (11) - growing criticism over (12) the way (13) the present crisis being handled.

could you tell me why we have "the" in 7? is "uncertainty" defined by "government economic policy"?
Usually we know about which government we are talking about (and there is always only one government) so I believe that there should be "the" before "government".

[Diverhank]

To me, only #4 and #8 are questionable here. I would have made the same mistakes you did. I feel that "unemployed" in #4 and "policy" in #8 should be either be plural or "the" should be added.

If it would make you feel any better, a great number of people, native or not, makes this kind of mistakes all the time...even great writers.