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Help the detective update the official case file by choosing the correct verb forms. Pay close attention to whether the reporting verb is in the past or present!
Yesterday, the suspect claimed that he ____________________________ when the bank was robbed. But just now, his lawyer insists that the suspect _________________________ actually out of the country at the time, and promises that the defense team ____________________________ the flight records tomorrow.
The correct answers are had been sleeping, was, and will provide.
The tense of the reporting verb dictates whether we backshift:
- claimed is in the past, so the past continuous action (was sleeping) backshifts to the past perfect continuous (had been sleeping).
- insists is in the present, so we do not backshift. The fact that he was out of the country remains in the simple past (was).
- promises is also in the present, so the future intention remains in the future tense (will provide).