What you will fix

You will reproduce #ERROR! in D2 with an incomplete addition formula, identify the missing right-hand operand, then correct the formula in E2 so it adds Input A and Input B.

Learning objectives

Open the practice workbook

HANDS-ON PRACTICE

Practice in your own copy

Make your own Google Sheets copy with the same data, formulas, formatting, filter and frozen header. The original remains unchanged.

Make a Google Sheets copy (access required) ↗View original

Sign in to Google. If the original is not publicly shared, download the full workbook and import it into Google Sheets, or paste the example data into your own sheet.

Sample data

CaseInput AInput BBroken resultFixed result
Parse example100

Keep B2=10 and C2=0 while reproducing the error and entering the corrected formula.

Google Sheets practice workbook showing the complete source table with Input A 10 and Input B 0 before formulas are entered.

Reproduce, diagnose, and fix the parse error

Step 1: Select D2, enter =B2+, and press Enter. The plus operator has no right-hand operand, so Google Sheets must display #ERROR!.

=B2+
Google Sheets with D2 selected, =B2+ visible in the formula bar, #ERROR! displayed in D2, and the source inputs still visible.

Step 2: Read the formula from left to right. The reference B2 is valid, but the trailing + is incomplete. Parse errors often come from unfinished operators, missing parentheses, or malformed separators.

Step 3: Select E2, enter =B2+C2, and press Enter. With B2=10 and C2=0, E2 must calculate 10 while D2 remains #ERROR! for comparison.

=B2+C2
Google Sheets with E2 selected, =B2+C2 visible in the formula bar, 10 displayed in E2, and the original #ERROR! still visible in D2.

Checkpoint

CellExpected
B210
C20
D2#ERROR!
E210

D2 proves the incomplete formula cannot be parsed; E2 proves the corrected formula uses the source inputs and calculates normally.

Common mistakes and fixes

If the corrected cell still shows #ERROR!, inspect the complete formula for an unfinished operator, unmatched parentheses, incorrect separators, or a mistyped reference.

Independent practice

Temporarily change B2 from 10 to 11. Verify E2 recalculates from 10 to 11, then restore B2 to 10 and confirm the checkpoint returns.

Key takeaways

  • ✓#ERROR! can indicate that Google Sheets cannot parse a formula.
  • ✓An operator such as + needs a valid expression on both sides.
  • ✓Trace the formula from left to right and find the first incomplete or malformed token.
  • ✓Repair the formula instead of typing over the error with a static value.
  • ✓Change one input, confirm recalculation, and restore the sample before finishing.
QUICK CHECK

Check your understanding

Answer four questions about the practice sheet.

1. Why does =B2+ return #ERROR! in this lesson?
2. What does B2 represent in the sample table?
3. What should =B2+C2 return when B2=10 and C2=0?
4. What should happen after temporarily changing B2 to 11?

Next lesson

Continue in the troubleshooting path with the next recommended lesson.