Практическая грамматика

The number of mistakes he makes is startling.


§ 40. Omission of the Article
Sometimes the article is not used where we naturally expect to find it in accordance with the rules. No change of meaning is observed in these cases.
The article is often omitted in newspaper headings, telegrams, in stage directions.
Gas Blast Kills Woman. (Daily Worker)
Girl Gymnast Keeps Title. (Moscow News)
The article is often omitted with homogeneous members closely connected with each other and joined by the conjunction and. In most cases they go in pairs.
The breakfast was taken away, and that meal over, it was the general custom of uncle and niece to separate. (Ch. Bronte)

Chapter III

THE ADJECTIVE

§ 1. The adjective is a part of speech expressing a quality of a sub­stance.

§ 2. The adjective has the following morphological character­istics:
Most adjectives have degrees of comparison: the comparative degree and the superlative degree.
The comparative degree denotes a higher degree of a quality.
She is taller than her sister.
My box is smaller than hers.
The superlative degree denotes the highest degree of a quality.
She is the tallest of the three sisters.
Her box is the smallest of all our boxes.
(The noun modified by an adjective in the superlative degree has the definite article because the superlative degree of the adjective always implies limitation.)
Adjectives form their degrees of comparison in the following way:

1. 
   By the inflexion -er, -est. (synthetical way);
   

(b) By placing more and most before the adjective (analytical way),
Monosyllabic adjectives usually form their comparatives and superlatives in the first way, and polysyllabic adjectives in the second way.

Adjectives of two syllables that end in -y, -ow, -er, -le form the degrees of comparison synthetically.

happy happier (the) happiest
narrow narrower (the) narrowest
clever cleverer (the) cleverest
simple simpler (the) simplest
Adjectives of two syllables, which have the stress on the last syllable, can form the degrees both in two ways:
complete completer (the) completest
more complete (the) most complete
Some adjectives have irregular forms of degrees of comparison, e.g.:
good better (the) best
bad worse (the) worst
many, much more (the) most
little less (the) least
far farther (the) farthest
further (the) furthest
old older (the) oldest
elder (the) eldest

§ 3. Spelling rules.

l. If the adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a stressed short vowel, the consonant is doubled before -er, -est.
sad sadder (the) saddest
big bigger (the) biggest

2. If the adjective ends in -y preceded by a consonant, у is changed into i before -er and - est.

busy busier (the) busiest
happy happier (the) happiest

3. If the adjective ends in -e the e is dropped before -er and -est.

brave braver (the) bravest
fine finer (the) finest