What is the correct punctuation in the following sentence: "Everyone in the bank-including the manager and the tellers, ran to the door when the fire alarm rang."?

In the sentence provided, the goal is to establish a clear and grammatically correct connection between the subject "everyone in the bank, including the manager and the tellers" and the action "ran to the door when the fire alarm rang." The correct punctuation must provide clarity without creating confusion regarding the relationship between these elements.

Using a hyphen as in "tellers-ran" is incorrect in standard English punctuation for this context. The correct structure involves using a comma to separate elements within a list while maintaining the natural flow of the sentence. This aids in understanding that "everyone in the bank" is the subject of the sentence and that they collectively performed the action of running when the alarm rang.

The appropriate punctuation should clarify that the entire group acted in unison without creating unnecessary interruptions in the flow of the sentence. A comma before "ran" indicates the end of a descriptive clause and integrates smoothly into the main action of the sentence. Therefore, the ideal answer preserves grammatical integrity and enhances readability.