All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed (2)______ certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. These sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words ...

All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed (2)______ certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. These sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words that appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style.