title: How to return an empty list in python
body: <p>I am trying to call a function that will empty two lists that i send as arguments. 
  How do i go about emptying the lists within the function and making sure they are empty once the code comes to reuse them in the original function in Python? Below is the code i am using as a test run for a larger system.</p>
  
  <pre><code>def Input():
      nextRound = ['Dad', 'Mom']
      maleNames = ['son', 'James', 'Mick', 'Dad']
  
      a = int(input('Enter a number please'))
      if a == 1:
          ErrorInput(1, nextRound, maleNames )
          # I want the below to print two empty strings
          print(nextRound, maleNames)
  
  def ErrorInput(error, namelist, round):
  
  
      if error == 1:
          print('ERROR: You have entered a number above what is impossible to 
          score')
          namelist = []
          round = []
      elif error == 2:
          print('ERROR: You Have entered a score meaning both players win')
          namelist = []
          round = []
      elif error == 3:
          print('ERROR: You have entered a score meaning neither of the two 
          players win')
          namelist = []
          round = []
      elif error == 4:
          print('EEROR: You have entered a negative number, this is 
          impossible')
          namelist = []
          round = []
  
      return(namelist, round)
  
  Input()
  </code></pre>