In this reported speech question, you must convert the reassurance "Sheela reassured me, \"I can come tonight.\"" into correct indirect speech and choose the best option.

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your knowledge of reported speech when the original direct sentence expresses ability and a future time reference. The direct sentence is "Sheela reassured me, 'I can come tonight.'" You must find the indirect version that correctly shows the change of pronouns, modal verb, and time expression.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Reporting clause: Sheela reassured me.
• Quoted speech: I can come tonight.
• Modal verb: can, indicating present ability.
• Time expression: tonight, which must be shifted in indirect speech.

Concept / Approach:
When the reporting verb is in the past, modal verbs often shift to their past forms in reported speech: "can" becomes "could". Pronouns must also change appropriately: the first person "I" refers to Sheela, not the narrator, so it changes to "she". The word "tonight" usually becomes "that night" when reported later. The reporting verb "reassured" already carries the idea of comfort, so "told" can be used as a simple reporting verb in the options, but the core grammar must still be correct.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Change the first person pronoun "I" to "she" because Sheela is the one speaking.Backshift the modal "can" to "could" under the past reporting verb.Modify the time expression "tonight" to "that night".Combine these elements into the reported clause: "she could come that night".Attach it to a suitable reporting clause: "Sheela told me she could come that night."

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the final sentence: "Sheela told me she could come that night." It conveys the same reassurance as the original direct speech, with correct changes in pronoun, modal verb, and time phrase. The sentence is grammatically sound and natural in standard English.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: "Sheela told me I could come that night." wrongly keeps the pronoun "I" as if the speaker were the narrator, which changes the meaning. Option C: "Sheela told me she could come tomorrow evening." changes "tonight" to "tomorrow evening", which is not equivalent. Option D: "she could will come that night" is ungrammatical because it combines two modals "could" and "will".

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often forget to change the subject pronoun when reporting statements like "I can come" and assume it remains "I". This leads to a sentence where the reporter appears to be speaking about their own ability instead of the original speaker's ability. It is also easy to mix up time expressions like "tonight", "that night", and "the next night", which must be chosen carefully based on context.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect sentence is Sheela told me she could come that night.