# `structure.deep-subordination`
## What it flags
Cascading subordinate clauses: multiple relative pronouns or subordinating conjunctions chained without a strong-punctuation break. Each open referent has to sit in working memory until it closes — Gibson's *Dependency Locality Theory* (1998) ties processing cost directly to that distance.
## At a glance
| **Category** | `structure` |
| **Default severity** | `warning` |
| **Default weight** | `2` |
| **Languages** | EN · FR (separate lists) |
| **Source** | [`src/rules/deep_subordination.rs`](https://github.com/bastien-gallay/lucid-lint/blob/main/src/rules/deep_subordination.rs) |
## Detection
Walk the sentence between strong-punctuation breaks; count consecutive subordinators. Flag when the count exceeds `max_consecutive_subordinators`. Pronoun *enumerations* (`qui, que, dont, où`) are skipped — the detector recognises the list form and does not treat it as cascading.
## Parameters
| `max_consecutive_subordinators` | `int` | 3 | 2 | 2 |
## Language lists
- 🇫🇷 Relative pronouns: *qui, que, dont, où, lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles*
- 🇫🇷 Subordinators: *parce que, afin que, bien que, quoique, puisque, pour que, tandis que*
- 🇬🇧 Relative pronouns: *which, that, who, whom, whose*
- 🇬🇧 Subordinators: *because, although, while, since, whereas, unless, until*
## Example
Flagged (FR):
> Le document qui a été rédigé par l'équipe que nous avons constituée et qui couvre les points que nous avions discutés…
Not flagged:
> Les pronoms relatifs en français sont : qui, que, dont, où.
## Suppression
See [Suppressing diagnostics](../guide/suppression.md).