Question

Identify the topic sentence:

The Badanga was an object of sheer horror, as his life’s object was to challenge quiet villagers to duel. As the then law of the land stood in the Teda tribe, a man who declined to accept a challenge from a Badanga forfeited all his worldly possessions, even his wife, over to the hands of his challenger. Therefore, the Badanga had any man he challenged at his mercy. If the Badanga slew him, the farmer’s possessions became his, and if the poor fellow declined to fight, he lost all legal right to his property anyway. A Badanga would invite himself to any feast and contribute to the hilarity of the entertainment by killing in gory fashion any merrymaker who displeased him. He might even single one out to murder for no other reason than to practice his combat skills.
A- Therefore, the Badanga had any man he challenged at his mercy.
B-He might even single one out to murder for no other reason than to practice his combat skills.
C- The Badanga was an object of sheer horror, as his life’s object was to challenge quiet villagers to duel.
D- if the Badanga slew him, the farmer’s possessions became his, and if the poor fellow declined to fight, he lost all legal right to his property anyway.

Answer 1

Hint: A topic sentence reflects an overview of the paragraph and tells us about what the paragraph is all about. And, the easiest way to identify the topic statement is to observe the first line of the paragraph.

Complete answer:
Topic sentence is the most important sentence of the paragraph. It is mostly in the focus of the paragraph around which the entire story revolves.
If we look at the paragraph, the topic sentence is Option C because a topic sentence depicts the overall idea of the paragraph in brief and here, why the people feared the Badanga, has been reflected clearly. Whereas, Options A, B and D are incorrect as they describe the various ways in which the Badanga force the people to fear him and each of them are a part of the reasons why people feared him but these sentences do not provide an overview of the situation mentioned in the paragraph.

Hence, option C is correct.

Note: Topic sentence always needs to be related to the paragraph which can give the information about the paragraph. It must tell the reader what the paragraph is all about. It often contains facts and figures, and depicts the thesis statement. Apart from this, a topic statement will include controlling ideas.