The past continuous

The past continuous is formed from the past tense of be with the -ing form of the verb:

We use the past continuous to talk about the past:

for something which continued before and after another action:
The children were doing their homework when I got home.

Compare:


I got home. The children did their homework.
and
The children did their homework when I got home.


As I was watching television the telephone rang.


This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:

The other day I was waiting for a bus when …
Last week as I was driving to work … 

for something that happened before and after a particular time:
It was eight o’clock. I was writing a letter.

Compare:

At eight o’clock I wrote some letters.

In July she was working in McDonald’s.

.to show that something continued for some time:
My head was aching.
Everyone was shouting.

for something that was happening again and again:
I was practising every day, three times a day.
They were meeting secretly after school.
They were always quarrelling.

with verbs which show change or growth:
The children were growing up quickly.
Her English was improving.
My hair was going grey.
The town was changing quickly.

Use of the Gerund (-ing form)

The English gerund form of the verb is the 'ing' form of the verb. 

Gerunds are verbs that are used as nouns. 

In other words, by adding 'ing' to any verb you can change that verb into a noun. 

Gerunds are often used at the beginning of sentences when focusing on activity as the subject of conversation.

Examples:

Learning English can be a lot of fun.
Playing tennis is good for your health, and good fun!
Listening 10 minutes a day to English will help you improve your understanding of the language.

It's also possible to use gerunds in any other position in a sentence.
Gerunds can also be used following certain verbs.
 As a direct object of a verb:

Examples:

Hanna enjoys listening to classical music.
Jason admits spending too much money on toys.
Angela enjoys talking long walks in the woods.