1. Reported speech.
Reported speech is used to relay information about what someone said, without using a direct quote.
The second verb in a sentence with reported speech can use the preterite, the imperfect or the conditional.
To report what people said they did use the preterite:
Ex. Nico dijo que fue al teatro anoche.
Nico said that he went to the theatre last night.
b. To report what people said they were planning to do, use the imperfect:
Ex. Nico dijo que iba al teatro.
Nico said that he was going to the theater.
c. To report what people said they would do in the future, use the conditional:
Ex. Nico dijo que iria al teatro.
Nico said that he would go to the theater.
Use decir to express what someone told another person to do, use the subjunctive in the second verb.
Ex. Nico dice que vayas al teatro.
Nico said that you should go to the theater.