She said she had called her the day before.

[BestBuddy]

I was told that we must not add a moment in the past when describing an action in the perfect aspect. For example, we shouldn't say "I've done it yesterday", but we have to say "I did it yesterday". So, I've got a question. How about 1) the perfect infinitive and 2) the past perfect in reported speech?

(the present perfect) "I've done it yesterday"

The perfect infinitive

• You shouldn't have done it yesterday morning! I'd told you to do it in the evening!
• He's supposed to have robbed a bank in 2017 / five years ago.

The past perfect in reported speech

• "I did it in 2015" "He said he'd done it in 2015"
• "I called him yesterday" "She said she had called him the day before"

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, that's fine.

 

[Phaedrus]

She said that she had called him yesterday would work i) if yesterday, while modifying only called, referred to the day before both said and called, and the sentence were uttered today; or ii) if the sentence were equivalent in meaning to Yesterday, she said that she had called him, where yesterday modifies said but not called.

 

[5jj]

She said that she had called him yesterday would work i) if yesterday, while modifying only called, referred to the day before both said and called, and the sentence were uttered today; o

In that situation we are more likely to say She said she called him yesterday, not bothering with the past perfect.