Select the most appropriate option to improve the bold part of the sentence.
The teacher asked that who was absent.

Correct option is C

The correct substitution of the highlighted words is (c) who.
Explanation: After the reporting verb ask/asked, when the clause is an indirect wh-question, we do not use that. We directly use the wh-word introducing a noun clause in statement word order: Subject + verb (no inversion, no question mark). Hence, “The teacher asked who was absent” is correct and concise.
Grammatical rule used:
· ask + wh-clause (who/what/when/where/why/how) → ask + wh-word + subject + verb.
· Do not use that before a wh-clause.
· Keep normal statement order (no auxiliary inversion).
· Example: She asked why the meeting was postponed.
· Information booster / exception: “ Ask that” is grammatical only in mandative subjunctive structures (e.g., “They asked that he be present”), not for indirect questions.