Why "should backup" needs a backup plan

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 11/10/2024, 02:18

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

Should backup or should back up. What's correct?

Modal verb agreement error

Why do people make this mistake?

The phrase "should backup" is incorrect because "backup" is being used as a verb, which means it should be "back up" instead. "Should" requires a base form of the verb, and "backup" as a single word is a noun or an adjective, not the base verb form.

What is correct?

The correct verb form is "back up" when used after a modal verb like "should". "Should back up" is the proper construction for expressing the action of creating a backup.

Examples of correct usage

You should back up your files regularly.
She should back up the data before updating the software.
They should back up the important documents to a secure location.