In the cognitive models, the rule-base is usually equated with LTM and the workspace with STM. There will be restrictions on these to correspond with assumptions about mental architecture: e.g. limited size of STM.
IF some condition THEN some action
The condition tests working memory, e.g. for the presence of certain symbols or patterns of symbols. In many systems, the conditions are expressed logically as conjunctions (occasionally, disjunctions) of predicates. In some systems, some conditions correspond to sensor data. In a cognitive model, this would correspond to direct access to sensory input, rather than to its representation in STM.
The action can be one of the following: