Using a button to pause a timer

Using Arduino Project Guidance
#1

I'm trying to make a shot clock with a quad 7 segment display with a with two buttons, a pause and a reset switch. Now, is it right to use the if and for loop functions to do this? What do I need to study? Do I need interrupts?

#2

Connect one button. Write a sketch that reads the state of the button and prints "open" or "closed". Then build things up from there. You don't need interrupts.

#3

Have you studied the examples that come with the IDE.

Have you written any sketches by yourself?

.

#4