How can you display the formulas used in cells instead of the results?

To display the formulas used in cells instead of the results, pressing Ctrl + ` (backtick) is the correct action to take. This keyboard shortcut toggles the view in Excel between showing the actual results of the calculations in the cells and showing the underlying formulas that generate these results.

When you press Ctrl + `, every cell that contains a formula will display that formula as text, allowing you to verify, audit, or modify the formulas directly in the cell view. This functionality is particularly useful for troubleshooting and ensuring that your formulas are set up correctly without needing to edit each cell individually.

The other options listed do not achieve this result. Pressing Ctrl + P is used for printing, Ctrl + R is a shortcut for filling selected cells to the right, and pressing F2 puts the selected cell into edit mode, allowing you to modify the contents but not change the display format to show formulas.