Python Definitions Worksheet: Functions (Modules 21–30)
Name:
Date:
Class:
✎
Key terms
Write what each term means, in your own words.
1
range(stop)
2
range(start, stop)
3
range(start, stop, step)
4
Step
5
try
6
except
7
ValueError
8
Error handling
9
break
10
continue
11
while True: + break
12
Loop control
13
def
14
Function
15
Call
16
Function body
17
Parameter
18
Argument
19
def greet(name):
20
greet('Alice')
21
return
22
Return value
23
None
24
return vs print
25
Scope
26
Local variable
27
Global variable
28
NameError
29
Default argument
30
Optional parameter
31
Required parameter
32
Override
33
Index
34
string[0]
35
Negative index
36
IndexError
37
Slice
38
[start:stop]
39
[:stop]
40
[start:]
Answer Key
Python · Modules 21–30 · Student wording will vary for definitions
1range(stop) — Creates numbers from 0 up to but not including stop.
2range(start, stop) — Creates numbers from start up to but not including stop.
3range(start, stop, step) — Creates numbers from start, stepping by step, up to but not including stop.
4Step — How much to count by - default is 1, use -1 to count backwards.
5try — Block containing code that might cause an error.
6except — Block that runs only when an error occurs in the try block.
7ValueError — Error when a value is the wrong type e.g. int('abc').
8Error handling — Using try/except to manage errors without crashing.
9break — Immediately exits the entire loop.
10continue — Skips the rest of this iteration and goes to the next one.
11while True: + break — Common pattern: loop forever until a condition triggers break.
12Loop control — Using break and continue to control the flow of a loop.
13def — Keyword that creates (defines) a new function.
14Function — A reusable block of code with a name.
15Call — Running a function by writing its name with parentheses.
16Function body — The indented code that runs when the function is called.
17Parameter — A variable name in the function definition that receives data.
18Argument — The actual value passed to a function when calling it.
19def greet(name): — Defines a function with one parameter called name.
20greet('Alice') — Calls greet passing 'Alice' as the argument for name.
21return — Sends a value back to the code that called the function.
22Return value — The value a function sends back when it finishes.
23None — Default return value when no return statement is used.
24return vs print — return sends data for code to use; print just displays text.
25Scope — Where a variable can be accessed - local or global.
26Local variable — Variable inside a function that only exists in that function.
27Global variable — Variable outside all functions that is readable everywhere.
28NameError — Error when a variable doesn't exist in the current scope.
29Default argument — A pre-set value used when no argument is provided.
30Optional parameter — A parameter with a default that the caller can skip.
31Required parameter — A parameter without a default that the caller must provide.
32Override — Passing an argument to replace the default value.
33Index — The position number of a character in a string, starting at 0.
34string[0] — Accesses the first character of the string.
35Negative index — Counts from the end: -1 is last, -2 is second-to-last.
36IndexError — Error when the index is beyond the string length.
37Slice — Extract a portion of a string using [start:stop].
38[start:stop] — Get characters from start up to but not including stop.
39[:stop] — Get characters from the beginning up to stop.
40[start:] — Get characters from start to the end of the string.