Consequently, a convenient sample of 360 drivers was recruited.
Consequently, a convenient sample of 360 drivers were recruited.
Which of these is the correct verb form?
English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityConsequently, a convenient sample of 360 drivers was recruited.
Consequently, a convenient sample of 360 drivers were recruited.
Which of these is the correct verb form?
The correct verb form to use is the singular: was. I hope to clarify why this is by displaying the grouping of words in the sentence:
Consequently, a [convenient sample of 360 drivers] was recruited.
Although 360 drivers were involved in the sample, there was only a single sample, and that sample is the subject of the sentence. As there was only a single sample, the singular form was must be used.
You may find it easier to determine which verb form to use if you remove any modifiers from the subject:
Consequently, a
convenientsampleof 360 driverswas recruited.
Consequently, a sample was recruited.
Here it is clear that the subject is singular.
As some potentially interesting trivia, some dialects (such as the Yorkshire dialect) don't strictly obey conjugation rules. If you live in a region that uses a dialect like this, you are likely to hear were used instead.
In other cases, it can be perfectly correct to use were where you may expect was. For these cases, you may be interested in reading about the English subjunctive.