hikidashi no naka ga ippai datta node, furui denchi wa tana no ue ni okimashita.

Because the drawer was full, I put the old batteries on the shelf.

Breakdown of hikidashi no naka ga ippai datta node, furui denchi wa tana no ue ni okimashita.

• は: topic particle
• が: subject particle
• の: possessive case particle
• だ: to be

Questions & Answers about hikidashi no naka ga ippai datta node, furui denchi wa tana no ue ni okimashita.

Why are there so many の particles in this sentence?

の is linking nouns together.

In this sentence, it appears in:

• 引き出しの中 = the inside of the drawer
• 棚の上 = the top of the shelf / on the shelf

A very common pattern is:

• A の B = B of A / B belonging to A / B associated with A

So here:

• 引き出し = drawer
• 中 = inside
  → 引き出しの中 = inside the drawer

And:

• 棚 = shelf
• 上 = top / above / on top
  → 棚の上 = on top of the shelf

Japanese uses の very often where English might use of, 's, or just a noun modifier.

Why is it 中がいっぱいだった and not 中はいっぱいだった?

Here, が marks the thing that is full.

• 引き出しの中がいっぱいだった = the inside of the drawer was full

Using が is natural because いっぱいだ describes the state of 中.

Why not は?

• 中はいっぱいだった is possible in some contexts, but it would sound more contrastive, like:
  • As for the inside, it was full
  • maybe implying something else was not full

So:

• が = neutral, straightforward description
• は = adds contrast or special topical emphasis

In this sentence, が is the normal choice.