he was/had been idle

[angliholic]

The old man repented that he had been/was idle.


Do both had been and was fit in the above context? Thanks.

[Anglika]

They are both grammatically correct.

Which one to use will depend on the full context:

he repented that he had been >> past action
he repented that he was >> current action

[angliholic]

Thanks, Anglika.
I get it now.