Continue statement behavior in Python - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Continue Statement Behavior

📖 Scenario: Imagine you are sorting a list of numbers and want to skip printing any number that is even. You will use the continue statement to skip those numbers and only print the odd ones.

🎯 Goal: Build a small program that loops through a list of numbers, uses the continue statement to skip even numbers, and prints only the odd numbers.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a list called numbers with the exact values: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Create a variable called count and set it to 0

Use a for loop with the variable num to iterate over numbers

Inside the loop, use an if statement to check if num is even and use continue to skip printing it

Print each odd number inside the loop

After the loop, print the total count of odd numbers printed

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Skipping unwanted items in a list is common when filtering data, like ignoring certain records or values in real applications.

💼 Career

Understanding how to control loops with continue helps in writing efficient code for data processing, automation, and many programming tasks.

1

Create the list of numbers

Create a list called numbers with these exact values: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Python

# Create the list called numbers with the values [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
# Your code here

Hint

Use square brackets to create a list and separate numbers with commas.

2

Create a counter variable

Create a variable called count and set it to 0 to keep track of how many odd numbers are printed

Python

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
# Create a variable count and set it to 0
# Your code here

Hint

Just write count = 0 on a new line.

3

Loop and use continue to skip even numbers

Use a for loop with the variable num to iterate over numbers. Inside the loop, use an if statement to check if num % 2 == 0 (even number) and use continue to skip printing it. For odd numbers, increase count by 1 and print num.

Python

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
count = 0
# Write a for loop with num in numbers
# Inside the loop, if num is even, use continue
# Otherwise, increment count and print num
# Your code here

Hint

Use for num in numbers: to loop. Use if num % 2 == 0: to check even numbers. Use continue to skip them.

4

Print the total count of odd numbers

After the loop, write print(f"Total odd numbers: {count}") to display how many odd numbers were printed

Python

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
count = 0
for num in numbers:
    if num % 2 == 0:
        continue
    count += 1
    print(num)
# Print the total count of odd numbers
# Your code here

Hint

Use an f-string to print the count variable after the loop.

Practice

1. What does the continue statement do inside a loop in Python?

easy

A. Exits the current function

B. Stops the entire loop immediately

C. Skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next one

D. Repeats the current iteration without moving forward

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of continue

   The continue statement tells the loop to skip the remaining code in the current iteration.

2. Step 2: Identify the loop behavior after continue

   After skipping, the loop moves to the next iteration without stopping the whole loop.

3. Final Answer:

   Skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next one -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips current step [OK]

Hint: Remember: continue skips current step, break stops loop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing continue with break
• Thinking continue exits the function
• Assuming continue repeats the iteration

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to use continue inside a for loop?

easy

A. for i in range(5) { continue }

B. for i in range(5): continue

C. for i in range(5) continue

D. for i in range(5):
continue

Solution

1. Step 1: Check Python loop syntax

   Python requires a colon after the for statement and indentation for the loop body.

2. Step 2: Identify correct placement of continue

   continue must be inside the loop body, properly indented on the next line.

3. Final Answer:

   for i in range(5):\n continue -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Colon + indent + continue line [OK]

Hint: Use colon and indent for loop body with continue [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Missing colon after for statement
• Writing continue on same line without colon
• Using braces {} which are not Python syntax

3. What is the output of this code?

for i in range(5):
    if i == 2:
        continue
    print(i)

medium

A. 0 1 3 4

B. 0 1 2 3 4

C. 2

D. 0 1

Solution

1. Step 1: Trace loop iterations and condition

   The loop runs i from 0 to 4. When i is 2, continue skips printing.

2. Step 2: List printed values

   Values printed are 0, 1, 3, and 4 because 2 is skipped.

3. Final Answer:

   0 1 3 4 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips i=2 print [OK]

Hint: Skip printing when continue triggers, others print [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including 2 in output
• Thinking continue stops loop
• Confusing continue with break

4. Find the error in this code snippet:

i = 0
while i < 5:
    if i == 3:
        continue
    print(i)
    i += 1

medium

A. Infinite loop because i is not incremented when i == 3

B. SyntaxError due to missing colon

C. Prints numbers 0 to 4 correctly

D. TypeError because of continue in while loop

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze loop and continue effect

   When i equals 3, continue skips the rest, so i += 1 is not executed.

2. Step 2: Understand consequence

   Since i stays 3 forever, the loop never ends, causing an infinite loop.

3. Final Answer:

   Infinite loop because i is not incremented when i == 3 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips i++ causes infinite loop [OK]

Hint: Increment loop variable before continue or use else [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring that continue skips increment
• Thinking continue causes syntax error
• Assuming loop ends normally

5. You want to print all numbers from 1 to 10 except multiples of 3 using a for loop and continue. Which code correctly does this?

hard

A. for i in range(1, 11):
if i % 3 == 0:
pass
else:
print(i)

B. for i in range(1, 11):
if i % 3 == 0:
continue
print(i)

C. for i in range(1, 11):
if i % 3 == 0:
break
print(i)

D. for i in range(1, 11):
if i % 3 != 0:
continue
print(i)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the goal

   We want to skip printing numbers divisible by 3, so use continue when i % 3 == 0.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   for i in range(1, 11): if i % 3 == 0: continue print(i) skips multiples of 3 correctly and prints others. for i in range(1, 11): if i % 3 != 0: continue print(i) skips non-multiples wrongly. for i in range(1, 11): if i % 3 == 0: break print(i) breaks loop early. for i in range(1, 11): if i % 3 == 0: pass else: print(i) uses pass but prints all except multiples of 3 correctly but without continue.

3. Final Answer:

   for i in range(1, 11): if i % 3 == 0: continue print(i) -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips multiples of 3 print others [OK]

Hint: Use continue to skip unwanted cases inside loop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using break instead of continue
• Reversing condition logic
• Not skipping multiples of 3