You have to submit your paper at the end of the week and the proofreader called and said he just broke up with his girlfriend and is in no condition to work for a week. What can you do to get your work in shape when there’s no one else to help?

Read it yourself. Actually read it aloud. Read it as if you were reading to your editor or professor. Read it with passion you intended, using the intonation you imagine for it.

Reading aloud will help you review your work from a new angle

• It is highly probable that you will catch several typos and grammatical errors.
• You may discover that your approach is not convincing enough, and you need to add stronger words or include more examples.
• You may want to change the flow of a few paragraphs to support your argument.

You may discover that this is a good habit to budget into your schedule, whether you have a proofreader or not. Take the time to read your work aloud. You will be surprised at the positive difference it will make.