en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

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.

Recommended posts in Grammar

Why you shouldn't say "try do"

Why you shouldn't say "try do"

People often inadvertently omit the infinitive marker "to" when combining ... Learn more →

Why "flush out a concept" doesn't hold water

Why "flush out a concept" doesn't hold water

The error occurs because "flush out" and "flesh out" sound ... Learn more →

Why "she seen" shouldn't be seen: exploring common grammar pitfalls

Why "she seen" shouldn't be seen: exploring common grammar pitfalls

People often make this error because "seen" is the past ... Learn more →

Why "laying low" is a linguistic slip-up

Why "laying low" is a linguistic slip-up

The verbs "lay" and "lie" are often confused because they ... Learn more →