Are these sentences correct according to my reasoning?
(The) x axis represents time.
(The) b variable is the length.
Since x and b are specific nouns, so we drop the articles.
- The subject is in (a) resting condition.
"Condition" is a noncountable noun here so it doesn’t need an article.
- In a task-based protocol, the experiment is repeated over many trials.
Both "task-based protocol" and "experiment" are general nouns in a definition. But "experiment" is also specific in that it refers to the "experiment" in a "task-based protocol" so we should use "a" for "task-based protocol" and "the" for the "experiment".
Answer
While x in "x axis" might be a noun, if it is then it’s an attributive noun which functions as an adjective.
Consider a question and answer like
Which frame is largest?
The door frame is largest.
The main noun in your sentence is axis, and that does need an article, just like frame does in my example.
The same applies to your sentence about the variable, but we wouldn’t generally phrase it as "The b variable": it would be "The variable b is the length". Here, b is a name, and the sentence is analogous to something like "The man Andrew is the president". That’s a slightly defective analogy, but we certainly wouldn’t say "The Andrew man is the president".
Condition in your third sentence is a countable noun. The subject could be in one of any number of conditions, resting or running or anything else. Because it’s countable, it needs an article, and the indefinite article is appropriate.
Your reasoning for the last sentence is correct.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Reza Yahyaei , Answer Author : Andrew Leach
