the previous day or on the previous day

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san2612

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correct mistake

1. You should call me first the previous day.

I think "call" should be replaced by "have called". But how about "the previous day"? I think this phrase is only used in reported speech.
 

emsr2d2

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correct mistake

1. You should call me first the previous day.

I think "call" should be replaced by "have called". But how about "the previous day"? I think this phrase is only used in reported speech.

"The previous day" can be used in any form, but my problem with this sentence is that I don't know what it's intended to mean! There are various possibilities:

1) You should have called me first yesterday.
2) I know it happened last week, but you should have called me first, the previous day.
3) You should have called me yesterday before you called anyone else.
4) You should have called me yesterday before you did anything else.
 

BobK

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Or even 'If you had called me the day before it happened I could have told you how to avoid its happening at all'.

b
 
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