Doubt in the use of Past Perfect or Simple past in an If-clause

[Tdol]

You are right. Thanks for the contribution you made.
Language is not mathematics, we all know that. There's no such thing as a fixed set of rules governing the grammar a language, and English is no exception.
On making that statement, GENERALITY was what I had in mind.

Agreed, but I do like the exceptions.

[Tdol]

I agree.

Subjunctive "were" sounds better than present perfect "have been". But . . . how are they exceptions?

Past tense for past time in a conditional.