A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech.

The manager told the staff that due dates must be met strictly.

The correct direct speech sentence is: “Due dates must be met strictly,” said the manager.

Step-by-Step Explanation:

1. Analyze the given Indirect Speech sentence:
The given indirect speech is: "The manager told the staff that due dates must be met strictly."

2. Understand the rules for converting Indirect to Direct Speech:
- Remove the reporting conjunction "that".
- Enclose the exact words of the speaker inside quotation marks (“...”).
- Retain the exact modal verb and structure if no change in time/modal reference is required. The modal verb "must" usually remains unchanged when expressing a rule, necessity, or general obligation.
- The reporting verb phrase "The manager told the staff" translates directly back to “said the manager” or "the manager said" paired with the original statement.

3. Evaluate the given options:
- Option 1: “Due dates must be met strictly,” said the manager. — This preserves the exact wording, passive voice structure, and intensity of obligation ("must be met strictly") of the reported speech.
- Option 2: “You should meet the due dates strictly,” said the manager. — Changes the modal verb "must" to "should" and changes passive to active voice, which alters the original tone.
- Option 3: “Meet the due dates strictly,” the manager said. — Changes the sentence from an assertive statement to an imperative command.
- Option 4: “Due dates are to be met,” said the manager. — Omits the adverb "strictly" and alters the modal auxiliary.

Therefore, Option 1 is the most accurate direct speech representation of the given sentence.