The shift-and-add property (SAP) of a p-ary m-sequence {ak} with period N=pn-1 means that this sequence satisfies the equation {ak+η}+{ak+τ}={ak+λ} for some integers η, τ and λ. For an arbitrarily-given p-ary m-sequence {ak}, we develop an algebraic approach to determine the integer λ for the arbitrarily-given integers η and τ. And all trinomials can be given. Our calculation only depends on the reciprocal polynomial of the primitive polynomial which produces the given m-sequence {ak}, and the cyclotomic cosets mod pn-1.