we've been watching

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

It means that a group of people ("we") has been observing or monitoring something continuously over a period of time. It implies ongoing attention and awareness.

It's appropriate when you want to emphasize that an observation or monitoring process has been happening continuously over time, rather than a single instance. For example, "we've been monitoring the weather patterns closely".

Yes, more formal alternatives include "we have observed", "we have been following", or "we have been monitoring". The choice depends on the context and the desired level of formality.

"We've been watching" implies an ongoing process of observation, while "we watched" refers to a completed action of watching something at a specific point in the past. For example, "we watched the game last night" versus "we've been watching the team's progress all season".