a reply to the effect

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'a reply to the effect' is correct and can be used in written English.
It can be used to describe an answer that provides the same sentiments or information as the original question. For example, "I asked him what the plan was for the weekend and he gave a reply to the effect that we were going to have a party".

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

I got back a form reply, to the effect that anyone who has boarded an Atlanta flight at eight and hasn't eaten dinner is an isolated and negligible problem.

Forbes

In this hierarchical structure, or reply tree, the nodes are messages (the post is the root), and the edges are the directed reply relationships from a reply to the message it replies to (known as parent).

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

"One of his friends said," Dr. Judson recalled, " 'Bill, I expected you to arrive in a Ferrari.' " He replied to the effect that he thought of arriving with a couple of young women.

The New York Times - Science

When Barack Obama was asked what surprised him most about becoming president, he replied to the effect that he hadn't realised how difficult it would be to get anything done.

The Guardian - Opinion

" To send a reply to everyone who received the email, click on the downward-pointing arrow next to "Reply," then select "Reply to All".

WikiHow

Any intermediate node that has the route to destination replies with a route reply to the source node.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Rupert (2001) has a lengthy reply to the foregoing argument.

SEP

The second main reply to the argument from joint effects is to restrict the temporal order view to cases of direct connection.

SEP

Giles's reply is to the effect that the confused, simple concept of a substance possessed by the ordinary fellow in fact refers to the same reality as the real definition does, so that asserting the real definition of the confused concept simply asserts that the reality is itself, and so is a triviality, after all.

SEP

Çarşi replied with a rhyme to the effect that Alen was with Galatasaray's mother.

The New Yorker

The exec on stage replied something to the effect of, "Batteries aren't our industry, they're a chemistry problem".

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a reply to the effect" when you want to convey the general meaning of a response without quoting it exactly. It's useful for summarizing the essence of what was said.

Common error

Avoid using "a reply to the effect" when you need to provide a precise quote or specific details of a response. This phrase is for conveying the general idea, not the exact wording.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a reply to the effect" functions as a discourse marker. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct, though no exact examples are available in the provided dataset. This construction introduces a summary or paraphrase of a response, rather than a direct quotation.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a reply to the effect" serves as a useful way to report the general content of a response without quoting it verbatim. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct, though no exact examples were found in the current dataset. It is appropriate for neutral to formal registers and is intended to convey the substance, but not necessarily the precise wording, of the original statement. Its versatility makes it applicable in a variety of contexts, including academic, professional, and news-related communications. Use it when you want to provide a summary or paraphrase of someone's answer, rather than a direct quotation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a response indicating that

Focuses on the indication given by the response.

a reply suggesting that

Emphasizes the suggestion implied in the reply.

a response implying that

Highlights the implication conveyed by the response.

an answer to the effect that

Replaces 'reply' with 'answer' for broader applicability.

a statement indicating that

Uses 'statement' to describe the form of the reply.

a communication suggesting that

Replaces 'reply' with 'communication' to broaden the scope.

a message conveying that

Focuses on the message being conveyed.

a note intimating that

Uses 'note' for a brief reply and 'intimating' for a subtle suggestion.

an indication to the effect that

Highlights the indication given by the reply.

a summary to the effect that

Describes the reply as a summarized version of something.

FAQs

How can I use "a reply to the effect" in a sentence?

You can use "a reply to the effect" to summarize the gist of someone's response. For example, "When asked about his plans, he gave a reply to the effect that he was still undecided".

What's a good alternative to "a reply to the effect"?

Alternatives include "a response indicating that", "a reply suggesting that", or "a response implying that", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to quote directly or use "a reply to the effect"?

If precise wording is important, quote directly. Use "a reply to the effect" when you only need to convey the general idea or summary of the response.

What is the difference between "a reply to the effect that" and "in effect"?

"A reply to the effect that" summarizes the content of a reply, while "in effect" means 'in practice' or 'essentially'. For example: "His "a reply to the effect" that he was busy meant, in effect, that he wouldn't help".