Is it OK to sometimes think of the particle 고 as the english 'ing'
I am looking at the particle 고 more as I only understand it as the word 'and' really still. One definition I have seen says (particle after verb or adjective to add meaning of progression) I assume that is what I am seeing in these examples? !:당신은 돈을 낭비하고 있습니다. 2: 지금은 이탈리어공부를 하고 있습니다 Leading me to the conclusion that sometimes 고 acts very much like our 'ing' on verbs, am I right, am I ok to think of it this way?

Can you show me any more examples of 고 particle after verb or adjective to add meaning of progression, esp with adj.

Thank you.

Question

Is it OK to sometimes think of the particle 고 as the english 'ing'
I am looking at the particle 고 more as I only understand it as the word 'and' really still. One definition I have seen says (particle after verb or adjective to add meaning of progression) I assume that is what I am seeing in these examples? !:당신은 돈을 낭비하고 있습니다. 2: 지금은 이탈리어공부를 하고 있습니다  Leading me to the conclusion that sometimes 고 acts very much like our 'ing' on verbs, am I right, am I ok to think of it this way?

Can you show me any more examples of  고 particle after verb or adjective to add meaning of progression, esp with adj.

Thank you.

Answer

Yes, you can take 고 as that when 있다 follows the sentence. However it's not used with an adjective verb. 덥고 있습니다 doesn't make a lot of sense while 더워지고 있습니다 does make perfect sense, 'it's getting hot'. -지다 is a passive-verb form similar to 'get adj.', not exactly the same.

Answer

yes, you're right. the word "고" can mean to show "~ing" in English 
but i think it will not make any sense if you think of "고" as a seperate form. 
usually when it come to showing "~ing" in Korean, it always comes with "~하고 있다". 
"~하고 있다" is a typical form of "ing" and means "somebody is in the middle of something." 
Also we can say "~하고 있습니다" as a formal one of "~하고있다". 

let me give you some more examples of "~하고 있다" or "~하고 있습니다." 

전 지금 당신의 질문에 대답하고 있습니다. 
i am answering your question now. 
대답(noun) + 하다 (it is a one way to make nouns become a verb adding "하다" on nouns) 
대답 하고 있다. 
대답 하고 있습니다.(more formal and polite) 

let's see pure verbs. 
전 지금 TV 을 보고 있습니다. 
i am watching TV now. 
보다(watch) 
보고 있다(be verb + watching) 
보고 있습니다. 

읽다(read) 
읽고 있다 
읽고 있습니다. 

now we've got two types of verbs which is "noun+ 하다" and "pure verbs" and it's easy to make "ing form" of them. 
in case of "noun +하다"', it goes "noun+하고 있다" as taking out "다" as in "하다" 
and adding "고 있다" 
in pure verbs the same rule can be applied. 
:) hope it could be helpful.