I’ve noticed a trend of people saying/writing “That said” or “that being said” at the beginning of sentences. It’s annoying and here’s why.

Whether its everyday speak or business writing, what’s being said should have meaning and purpose. I admit, sometimes I write something that is considered “filler” where it had no meaning. You have to ask yourself after writing something, can I remove any words and will the meaning still be there. For the words “that said,” I can most certainly say they can be removed.

Here’s an example:

Today, I went running in the morning and then had a great big lunch afterward. That said, I was feeling very lazy the rest of the day.

Removing filler:

Today, I went running in the morning and then had a great big lunch afterward. I was feeling very lazy the rest of the day.

Shorter, more concise. Much better.

This is an open ended question. What “tense” context do you write your content in when its a future event?

Do you write:

• John will be presenting at CMA in June 2011
• John is presenting at CMA in June 2011
• John presents at CMA in June 2011

or some other variation of present or future tense?

What happens when the event has passed? Do you change the content to past tense? Personally, I post content in present tense. It gives the illusion the content is current/up-to-date while the event may have occurred months or years ago.