Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
"The manager said to the peon, 'Why were you absent yesterday?'"

Correct option is C

Explanation of the Correct Answer: · The given sentence is in direct speech (past simple question).
· The rules for converting direct to indirect speech:
· Change "said to" → "asked" or "enquired."
· "Why were you absent yesterday?" → "Why he had been absent the previous day."
· "Yesterday" changes to "the previous day."
· "Were" (past simple) changes to "had been" (past perfect).
Thus, the correct sentence is:
"The manager asked the peon why he had been absent the previous day."
Why Are the Other Options Incorrect? · (a) "The manager enquired why the peon was absent the previous day." → Incorrect; "was absent" should be "had been absent."
· (b) "The manager asked the peon why he was absent the previous day." → Incorrect; same issue as above.
· (d) "The manager asked the peon why had he been absent the previous day." → Incorrect word order; should be "why he had been absent."