observing
v.v. to watch someone or something carefully to learn more about them. It can also mean following a rule or a custom.
v. to watch or monitor something attentively for scientific or analytical purposes; to comply with a law, custom, or ritual. Present participle form of 'observe'.
The scientists are observing the birds in the forest.
By observing the way customers move through the store, the manager decided to change the layout.
While observing the strict protocols of the laboratory, the researchers noticed a small but significant change in the chemical structure of the sample.
Transitive when meaning to watch or follow a rule; often used in the continuous form to describe ongoing research.
observing to the rulesobserving the rulesWhen meaning to follow or obey, the verb is transitive and does not take the preposition 'to'.