Speech patterns

1. He was just going to pitch the postcard in the fire when suddenly he decided not to.

David was just about to order a plane ticket when suddenly he decided not to.

The little boy seemed ready to jump into the icy cold water but then he decided not to.

2. It isn't a pleasant experience, I can tell you.

It isn't easy to get tickets to the Bolshoi, I can tell you. That's not the first time he has acted this way, I can tell you.

3. How was it that he had never noticed the most significant fact about the postcards...?

How was it that he was home all day, but didn't answer any of our phone calls?

How is it that we can put a man in space, but we can't cure the common cold?