PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_DEFAULT - php

Question

I receive this error Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_DEFAULT in ../../functions.php on line 22
Here is functions.php section around line 22("default" specifically is line 22):
<?php
break;
default :
?>
It's default code from Wordpress' TwentyEleven functions.php, and unfortunately I'm still very much learning PHP so I'm not at all sure why the error is occurring. Any ideas?
ETA here is the full functions.php
if ( ! function_exists( 'twentyeleven_comment' ) ) :
/**
* Template for comments and pingbacks.
*
* To override this walker in a child theme without modifying the comments template
* simply create your own twentyeleven_comment(), and that function will be used instead.
*
* Used as a callback by wp_list_comments() for displaying the comments.
*
* #since Twenty Eleven 1.0
*/
function twentyeleven_comment( $comment, $args, $depth ) {
$GLOBALS['comment'] = $comment;
switch ( $comment->comment_type ) :
case 'pingback' :
case 'trackback' :
?>
<li class="post pingback">
<p><?php _e( 'Pingback:', 'twentyeleven' ); ?> <?php comment_author_link(); ?><?php edit_comment_link( __( 'Edit', 'twentyeleven' ), '<span class="edit-link">', '</span>' ); ?></p>
<?php
break;
default :
?>
<li <?php comment_class(); ?> id="li-comment-<?php comment_ID(); ?>">
<article id="comment-<?php comment_ID(); ?>" class="comment">
<footer class="comment-meta">
<div class="comment-author vcard">
<?php
$avatar_size = 68;
if ( '0' != $comment->comment_parent )
$avatar_size = 39;
echo get_avatar( $comment, $avatar_size );
/* translators: 1: comment author, 2: date and time */
printf( __( '%1$s on %2$s <span class="says">said:</span>', 'twentyeleven' ),
sprintf( '<span class="fn">%s</span>', get_comment_author_link() ),
sprintf( '<time pubdate datetime="%2$s">%3$s</time>',
esc_url( get_comment_link( $comment->comment_ID ) ),
get_comment_time( 'c' ),
/* translators: 1: date, 2: time */
sprintf( __( '%1$s at %2$s', 'twentyeleven' ), get_comment_date(), get_comment_time() )
)
);
?>
<?php edit_comment_link( __( 'Edit', 'twentyeleven' ), '<span class="edit-link">', '</span>' ); ?>
</div><!-- .comment-author .vcard -->
<?php if ( $comment->comment_approved == '0' ) : ?>
<em class="comment-awaiting-moderation"><?php _e( 'Your comment is awaiting moderation.', 'twentyeleven' ); ?></em>
<br />
<?php endif; ?>
</footer>
<div class="comment-content"><?php comment_text(); ?></div>
<div class="reply">
<?php comment_reply_link( array_merge( $args, array( 'reply_text' => __( 'Reply <span>↓</span>', 'twentyeleven' ), 'depth' => $depth, 'max_depth' => $args['max_depth'] ) ) ); ?>
</div><!-- .reply -->
</article><!-- #comment-## -->
<?php
break;
endswitch;
}
endif; // ends check for twentyeleven_comment()

Answer 1

I ran into this problem with the code below. Note: the use of "case default", this is incorrect.
switch($vars) {
case "0":
print '1 comment';
break;
case default:
print "$vars comments";
}
The code should be as follows (default only):
switch($vars) {
case "0":
print '1 comment';
break;
default:
print "$vars comments";
}

Answer 2

Try to delete default:. And make sure that this line of code inside
switch(){
}

Answer 3

That seems to be part of the switch statement which usually take the following structure:
switch($aaa) {
case 1:
//do something
break;
case 2:
//do something else
break;
case 3:
...
...
...
default:
/do something else again
break;
}
You can get all the info you need here http://php.net/manual/en/control-structures.switch.php

Answer 4

I made an oversight when copy/pasting the code; forgot the opening <?php and closing ?>.