I received a letter from him to the effect that he could not accept my offer

He sent me a letter saying that he could not see me

When you read a book you should read between the lines

He sent me a letter to the effect that his poultry farm would go bankrupt sooner or later

Weakness brought on by a number of respiratory ailments had forced him just last week to announce that he was giving up his conducting career

The doctor spoke to the effect that my father would soon get better

At the same time, the clerk Natsue Arimura told Gokijo of his intent to resign after this month

We have a saying to the effect that a good neighbor is better than a faraway relative

His argument was logical