EDATE and EOMONTH in Google Sheets - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

Dates in column A and month offsets in column B. A1 is January 15, 2024; A2 is March 31, 2024. B1 and B2 are month numbers to add or subtract.

Cell	Value
A1	2024-01-15
A2	2024-03-31
B1	2
B2	-1

Formula Trace

=EDATE(A1, B1)

Step 1: EDATE("2024-01-15", 2)

Cell Reference Map

2024-01-15

↓

2024-03-31

Formula uses A1 (start date) and B1 (months to add) as inputs.

Result

    A           B       C
1  2024-01-15    2    2024-03-15
2  2024-03-31   -1    

Column C shows the result of EDATE(A1, B1), which is March 15, 2024.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What date does EDATE(A1, B1) return if A1 is 2024-01-15 and B1 is 2?

A 2024-03-15

B 2024-02-15

C 2024-04-15

D 2024-01-31

Key Result

EDATE(date, months) adds months to a date; EOMONTH(date, months) returns the last day of the month after adding months.

Practice

1. What does the EDATE function do in Google Sheets?

easy

A. Returns a date a specified number of months before or after a start date

B. Returns the last day of the current month

C. Calculates the number of days between two dates

D. Returns the day of the week for a given date

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of EDATE

   The EDATE function is designed to add or subtract whole months from a given start date.

2. Step 2: Compare with other date functions

   Unlike functions that return days or weekdays, EDATE specifically works with months to find a new date.

3. Final Answer:

   Returns a date a specified number of months before or after a start date -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   EDATE = date ± months [OK]

Hint: EDATE shifts dates by months, not days [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing EDATE with DAY or WEEKDAY functions
• Thinking EDATE returns end of month
• Using EDATE to add days instead of months

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax for the EOMONTH function?

easy

A. EOMONTH(date, days)

B. EOMONTH(months, start_date)

C. EOMONTH(start_date, months)

D. EOMONTH(start_date)

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall EOMONTH syntax

   EOMONTH requires two arguments: the start date and the number of months to move forward or backward.

2. Step 2: Check argument order and count

   The first argument must be the start date, the second is the months offset. The other options have wrong order or missing arguments.

3. Final Answer:

   EOMONTH(start_date, months) -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   EOMONTH(date, months) correct syntax [OK]

Hint: Start date first, months second in EOMONTH [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping the order of arguments
• Omitting the months argument
• Using days instead of months

3. Given cell A1 contains the date 2024-01-15, what is the result of =EDATE(A1, 3)?

medium

A. 2024-04-30

B. 2024-04-15

C. 2024-03-31

D. 2024-01-18

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand EDATE with positive months

   EDATE adds the number of months to the start date, keeping the day number if possible.

2. Step 2: Calculate 3 months after January 15, 2024

   Adding 3 months to January 15, 2024 results in April 15, 2024.

3. Final Answer:

   2024-04-15 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   EDATE(2024-01-15, 3) = 2024-04-15 [OK]

Hint: EDATE keeps day, shifts month by given number [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing EDATE with EOMONTH output
• Adding days instead of months
• Assuming end of month date

4. You wrote =EOMONTH(A1, 1) but it returns an error. Cell A1 contains the text "March 10, 2024" (not a date). What is the fix?

medium

A. Convert A1 to a valid date format before using EOMONTH

B. Change formula to =EOMONTH("March 10, 2024", 1)

C. Replace EOMONTH with EDATE

D. Use =EOMONTH(A1, "1") with months as text

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify cause of error

   EOMONTH requires a valid date value, but A1 contains text, not a date.

2. Step 2: Fix by converting text to date

   Convert or re-enter A1 as a proper date so EOMONTH can process it correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   Convert A1 to a valid date format before using EOMONTH -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   EOMONTH needs date input, not text [OK]

Hint: Ensure date cells are real dates, not text [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing text strings instead of dates
• Using quotes around month number
• Switching to wrong function without fixing input

5. You want to find the last day of the month 2 months before the date in cell B2 (which is 2024-05-20). Which formula gives the correct result?

hard

A. =EDATE(B2, 2)

B. =EDATE(B2, -2)

C. =EOMONTH(B2, 2)

D. =EOMONTH(B2, -2)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the requirement

   You want the last day of the month, 2 months before May 20, 2024.

2. Step 2: Choose correct function and argument

   EOMONTH returns the last day of a month offset by months. Negative 2 moves back 2 months from May 2024 to March 2024.

3. Step 3: Verify other options

   EDATE returns the same day number, not the last day. Positive 2 moves forward, not backward.

4. Final Answer:

   =EOMONTH(B2, -2) -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   EOMONTH with negative months finds past month end [OK]

Hint: Use EOMONTH with negative months for past month ends [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using EDATE instead of EOMONTH for month-end
• Using positive months to go backward
• Confusing last day with same day number