Simulate shift-tab with Automator/AppleScript?
I'm answering the original question in the title in case people are searching for it and navigate to this page.


You don't need to put shift down in curly braces, unless it's a comma separated list.
If the "tab" in parenthesis doesn't work, try the key code.
For each key press, try telling System events to do so without end tell.


Depending on your application, you need to specify which application you are telling to do the commands, and other parameters such as the window.

For example, in Safari, with the suggestions above:

tell application "Safari"
    tell front window
       tell application "System Events" to key code 48 using shift down
    end tell
end tell