What will the COUNTIF function do?

The COUNTIF function is designed to count the number of cells within a specified range that meet a given condition or criterion. This function is particularly useful when you want to focus on a subset of data based on particular conditions, such as counting how many times a specific value appears or how many cells contain values greater than a certain number. For example, if you apply COUNTIF to a range to count how many times the value "Apple" appears, it will scan through that range and count only those cells that specifically contain "Apple."

This functionality makes COUNTIF an essential tool for data analysis and reporting in Excel, as it allows users to perform conditional counting efficiently and effectively. The other choices do not correctly define the purpose of the COUNTIF function: counting all cells or only text entries, or empty cells, does not align with its specific role in conditional counting.