Yes, in painstaking, the ending would be taking.
Painstaking is an adjective.
No. Painstaking is the adjective form. The adverb is painstakingly.
It is painstaking work to put a thread through a needle.
After a painstaking search of the house, we found our missing car keys.
The painting was obviously completed with painstaking care.
The violinist hit each beautiful note with painstaking accuracy.
I've written out this example with painstaking precision.
You could use it like this, "The assignment was painstaking work." "Finishing off the kitchen cabinets was painstaking!" Use is as a synonym for the word 'hard' or 'exhausting'.
If we are painstaking in this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.
Some users on WikiAnswers put in some painstaking work into answering questions.
The discussions which had taken place last week had been very painstaking.