I have watched as it invigorated our students

[sitifan]

For three years, we have been using elements of the Core Knowledge program, and I have watched as it invigorated our students. These books should be in every classroom in America. " - Richard E. Smith , Principal , Northside Elementary School, Palestine, Texas
https://books.google.com.tw/books?i...and I have watched as it invigorated"&f=false
What does the conjunction "as" mean in the above passage？

 

[GoesStation]

"While"; "during the time that".

 

[sitifan]

"While"; "during the time that".

I have watched as it invigorated our students.
[present perfect] during the time that [past tense]
Are the tenses correct?

 

[GoesStation]

I have watched as it invigorated our students.
[present perfect] during the time that [past tense]
Are the tenses correct?

Not with "during the time that". You'd have to say I watched during the time that it was invigorating our students. This is clumsy and not something a native speaker would be likely to say.

 

[sitifan]

Not with "during the time that". You'd have to say I watched during the time that it was invigorating our students. This is clumsy and not something a native speaker would be likely to say.

What does the verb "watch" mean here?

 

[GoesStation]

What does the verb "watched" mean here?

"Observed".

 

[tedmc]

Not with "during the time that". You'd have to say I watched during the time that it was invigorating our students. This is clumsy and not something a native speaker would be likely to say.

I think it would have been okay if "as" is taken as "because".

 

[GoesStation]

I think it would have been okay if "as" is taken as "because".

No. The invigorating did not cause the observation.

 

[tedmc]

No. The invigorating did not cause the observation.

I watched it because it was beneficial to our students.

 

[jutfrank]

I watched it because it was beneficial to our students.

As GoesStation rightly says in post #2, as is used in the sense of 'while', not in the sense of 'because'. It means I watched it being beneficial.

I think it's common enough in the use of English to point out that the verb watch, along with other close synonyms like look on, and especially in narrative past tense, figures in collocation with as in the sense of observing something happening in real time.

During our five years there, we watched as he gradually turned from boy to man.
I sat and watched as she consciously slipped into view and began to undress.
Alice looked on helplessly as the thieves made off with her new Lambretta.

 

[tedmc]

As GoesStation rightly says in post #2, as is used in the sense of 'while', not in the sense of 'because'. It means I watched it being beneficial.
.

I don't think it necessarily means "being beneficial". If it was, the continuous tense (I watched it as it was invigorating our students) would have been used. It could be taken to mean "I watched it as it was beneficial to (as it invigorated) the students".

 

[jutfrank]

I don't think it necessarily means "being beneficial". If it was, the continuous tense (I watched it as it was invigorating our students) would have been used. It could be taken to mean "I watched it as it was beneficial to (as it invigorated) the students".

When I said "being beneficial" I was intentionally using your terms, as in post #9. A better paraphrase would be:

[for three years] I have watched it invigorating our students ...