In English, we make extensive use of the suffix ‘–ing’. In Italian, however, there are a number of different ways in which ‘–ing’ can be translated. Let’s have a look at three of the most common ones:

1. Il Gerundio = The Gerund

a. sto scrivendo un articolo = I’m writing an article
b. stiamo spiegando l’uso del gerundio = we are explaining the use of the gerund
c. andando verso la stazione ho incontrato Giovanni = I met Giovanni while I was going towards the station
d. girando a sinistra si va verso Pisa = turning to the left will take you towards Pisa

N.B. in examples a. and b. you’ll see that we use the verb stare and not essere with the gerund: sto scrivendo = I’m writing, stai ascoltando = you’re listening (informal), stiamo mangiando = we’re eating, state facendo = you’re doing/making (plural)
example c. could also be written mentre andavo verso la stazione = while I was going towards the station
Check these posts for more information about il gerundio: Il Gerundio Part 1 and Il Gerundio Part 2

2. L’Infinito = The Infinitive

“camminare fa bene alla salute” photo: (CC)

a. camminare fa bene alla salute = walking is good for your health
b. mi piace giocare a carte = I like playing cards
c. scrivere articoli sulla cultura italiana è molto interessante = writing articles about Italian culture is very interesting
d. badare a sette gatti è una bella sfida! = looking after seven cats is a real challenge!

N.B. in each of these examples the infinitive (camminare, giocare, scrivere, badare) is the subject of the sentence

3. Participio Presente = The Present Participle

a. attento che c’è acqua bollente dentro la pentola = be careful, there’s boiling water in that saucepan
b. hai mai visto la torre pendente di Pisa? = have you ever seen the leaning tower of Pisa
c. in mezzo al paese c’è una casa pericolante = in the middle of the village there’s a crumbling house
d. Mario è un po’ fuori di testa, dice di aver visto un disco volante stanotte! = Mario’s a bit crazy, he says he saw a flying saucer last night!

N.B. the Italian present participle uses the suffix –ente/ante where in English you would use –ing.
Check this post for more information about il participio presente: The Living Dead or How to use the Present Participle in Italian

If you need any further clarification please leave a comment