Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
The chief cook replied, "I will not leave you."

Correct option is C

Direct Speech- it means reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.
Indirect Speech- It is speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person's actual word.
· Given sentence is a direct speech.
While changing direct speech into indirect speech following rules are to be followed:
1. Tense Shifts: Tenses generally shift back in indirect speech. For example, 'will' (future simple) changes to 'would' (conditional).
2. Pronoun Changes: Pronouns must be changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech, not the original speaker.
3. Declarative Structure: The sentence structure changes from the direct quote format to a more declarative form, connecting the reporting clause and the reported clause usually with "that."
In the sentence "The chief cook replied, 'I will not leave you.'":
· The future tense "will" shifts to "would" for indirect speech.
· The first person pronoun "I" becomes "he" to match the perspective of the chief cook, and "you" shifts to "him" to match the perspective of the person being addressed in the reported context.
Therefore, the correct indirect form is: "The chief cook said that he would not leave him." This reflects the appropriate tense shift, pronoun adjustment, and structural change necessary for accurate indirect speech reporting.