В косвенной речи (reported speech) утверждение передаётся через said (that) или told smb (that), а время глагола сдвигается на шаг назад — это называется backshift.
Схема сдвига времён:
- Present Simple → Past Simple (I work → he said that he worked)
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous (I am working → he said that he was working)
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect (I have finished → he said that he had finished)
- Past Simple → Past Perfect (I went → he said that he had gone)
- will → would (I will call → he said that he would call)