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Techniques for Translating English -ing Forms in Editorial Texts: A Jakarta Post Case Study

Authors

  • Milisi Sembiring ORCID

    Department of English Language and Literature, Universitas Methodist Indonesia, Medan 20152, Indonesia
  • Risnawaty Risnawaty Email ORCID

    English Language Education, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan 20147, Indonesia
  • Roswani Siregar ORCID

    Department of Management, Universitas Al-Azhar, Medan 20241, Indonesia
  • Annim Hasibuan ORCID

    Department of Indonesian Education, Universitas Islam Labuhan Batu, Rantauprapat 21414, Indonesia
  • Sutarno Sutarno ORCID

    Department of International Marketing Management, Cendana Polytechnic, Medan 20222, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.12089
Received: 13 September 2025 | Revised: 11 October 2025 | Accepted: 21 October 2025 | Published Online: 18 November 2025

Abstract

Understanding how -ing forms are rendered is crucial for maintaining the demand for accurate, contextualized translations in journalism. This study examines the complexities involved in translating the -ing form in English (SL) into the Indonesian language (TL), highlighting the grammatical, syntactic, and contextual nuances that influence translation choices. The -ing form, which may function as a present participle, gerund, or adjective, often lacks a direct equivalent in the TL, necessitating adaptations based on syntactic role and meaning. This study explores the linguistic features and classify the various translation techniques used to transfer the messages of the English -ing forms in The Jakarta Post's editorial text into the TL. Three important findings can be drawn from a close examination of the data gathered. First, it is observed that six English terms with the suffix -ing are used to represent nouns; these are then translated into six different adjectives in Indonesian. Second, there are five instances of English -ing forms that function as gerunds, or nouns in the context of a sentence. Third, the present participle is used in continuous tenses to indicate ongoing acts in five different cases. The study, which uses Molina & Albir's translation techniques for analysis, reveals that techniques like literal translation amplification, equivalent, and reduction are especially good at retaining the meaning and sense of natural language in the TL. By providing practical guidelines for translators engaged in English– Indonesian language pair work, this study makes a significant contribution to the field of translation studies.

Keywords:

Translating, English, -ing Form, Indonesian

References

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2025 Vol.7 No.12

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Copyright © 2025 Milisi Sembiring, Risnawaty Risnawaty, Roswani Siregar, Annim Hasibuan, Sutarno Sutarno

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