Learn Dutch: Het stampen op de vloer is verschrikkelijk. - The stomping on the floor is terrible.

When you turn a verb into a noun to talk about the activity itself (like stomping or walking), Dutch uses the whole infinitive of the verb. These verb-nouns are always neuter, so they always take the article het.

Could I use a present participle here and say het stampende?

No, and this is a common trap for English speakers! English uses the -ing form for both the activity noun (the stomping) and adjectives (the stomping man). Dutch strictly uses the bare infinitive for the noun (het stampen) and only adds a -d or -de for adjectives (de stampende man).

Why doesn't verschrikkelijk get an -e at the end?

Because it comes after the verb is to describe the subject, rather than being placed directly in front of a noun. In Dutch, adjectives only get the -e ending when they come right before the noun they describe, like in een verschrikkelijke vloer.

Does stampen have other common meanings besides stomping?

Yes, it also means to mash. This is exactly where the famous traditional Dutch dish stamppot (mashed potatoes with vegetables) gets its name!