Function definition and syntax in Python - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Output of a function with default and keyword arguments

What is the output of this Python code?

Python

def greet(name, greeting="Hello"):
    return f"{greeting}, {name}!"

print(greet("Alice"))
print(greet("Bob", greeting="Hi"))

A Hello, Alice!\nHello, Bob!

B Hello, Alice!\nHi, Bob!

C Hi, Alice!\nHi, Bob!

D Error: missing required positional argument

💡 Hint

Check how default arguments work and how keyword arguments override them.

The function greet has a default greeting 'Hello'. Calling greet('Alice') uses the default. Calling greet('Bob', greeting='Hi') overrides the default with 'Hi'.

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Return value of a function with multiple return statements

What is the output of this code?

Python

def check_number(x):
    if x > 0:
        return "Positive"
    elif x == 0:
        return "Zero"
    else:
        return "Negative"

print(check_number(-5))

A Negative

B Zero

C Positive

D None

💡 Hint

Look at the input value and which condition it satisfies.

The input -5 is less than zero, so the function returns 'Negative'.

📝 Syntax

advanced

Identify the syntax error in function definition

Which option contains a syntax error in the function definition?

A def add(a, b):\n return a + b

B def divide(a, b):\n return a / b

C def multiply(a, b)\n return a * b

D def subtract(a, b):\n return a - b

💡 Hint

Check for missing colons in function headers.

Option C is missing a colon ':' after the function parameters, causing a syntax error.

❓ Predict Output

advanced

Output of a function using *args and **kwargs

What is the output of this code?

Python

def info(*args, **kwargs):
    return f"Args: {args}, Kwargs: {kwargs}"

print(info(1, 2, 3, name='Alice', age=30))

A Args: (1, 2, 3), Kwargs: {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 30}

B Args: [1, 2, 3], Kwargs: {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 30}

C Args: (1, 2, 3), Kwargs: [('name', 'Alice'), ('age', 30)]

D Args: 1, 2, 3, Kwargs: name='Alice', age=30

💡 Hint

Remember that *args collects positional arguments as a tuple and **kwargs collects keyword arguments as a dictionary.

The *args parameter collects positional arguments into a tuple. The **kwargs parameter collects keyword arguments into a dictionary.

🧠 Conceptual

expert

Effect of mutable default arguments in function definitions

What will be the output after running this code?

Python

def append_item(item, lst=[]):
    lst.append(item)
    return lst

print(append_item(1))
print(append_item(2))

A [1]\n[2]

B Error: mutable default argument

C [1]\n[1]

D [1]\n[1, 2]

💡 Hint

Think about how default mutable arguments behave across multiple function calls.

The default list is created once and shared across calls. So the second call appends 2 to the same list that already contains 1.