serial comma question with a twist

[MelissaNott]

Hi all,

Which is better:

The recorder is an inexpensive, educational, durable, fun instrument that is sure to bring smiles blah blah blah . . .

or,

The recorder is an inexpensive, educational, durable, and fun instrument that is sure to bring smiles blah blah blah . . .

I can't find info on this elsewhere, so is it a matter of opinion, or is there a rule I'm missing? I personally prefer the 2nd.

[jak]

I'm not sure how to answer your question. But in thinking about it I realised that I don't really like seeing the word fun used as an adjective, although I know this is a trend and I may even have been guilty of it myself. Fun is a noun really. Also I would link inexpensive and durable, which seem to be linked by their practical aspect, and I'd divorce educational from thos two and put it with fun, which could be linked by the possibility of being opposites. So I'd write something like:

The recorder is an inexpensive and durable instrument. While it is educational, it is also fun to play and sure to bring smiles.....

You wouldn't have the problem of the multiple adjectives and the oxford comma if you put something like that.

[MelissaNott]

Here is more of the context:

Available at music stores, toy stores, and online, the recorder is an inexpensive, educational, durable, fun musical instrument that is sure to bring many smiles (and perhaps a few winces) to your home on Christmas morning.

This is my thesis statement. I then give a blurb about how it's inexpensive, a blurb about it being educational, a blurb about its durability, and a blurb about it being fun.

[Debbi]

If you use more than two adjectives to describe one noun you are probably going to get hit for wordiness. Breaking up your thesis statement into two or more sentences is not a problem. It just becomes a thesis paragraph that is setting up the rest of your article.

Instead of fun, I always use "entertaining." LIke "The inexpensive and durable recorder is both educational and entertaining." That cuts out the need for the "bring smiles blah blah blah."