Hi, I have two questons.
1. Are these all possible depend on what you want to say? With their tensical implications?
Jake hit him first, with a long soft sponge he 1) was/2) had used/3) had been using to wash dishes.
To me, no. 2 and 3 set the events one before the other and no. 3 adding the factor of the continuance.
2. Sorry, when we use the phrase 'a piece of', can we use that with a countable noun? Can we attach an article?
a piece of a ruler or a piece of ruler??
a piece of a sponge or a piece of sponge??