Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '

Often these error messages don’t show the exact line the problem is, they often direct you to a few lines down where the next php line, and point that it’s not what it PHP wants it to be.

Low tech explanation, it’s like a math equation being.

5
+
7
+
2
+
Banana
-------------
= 16

PHP would say “error: the answer 16 is not right, there’s a unexpected fruit somewhere“..

So your error translated is:

“Syntax error there something wrong above line 41 in single.php. Look for something that would conflict with ‘<‘ being used on line 41”

Anyways, you have to look up from line 41, read the php and see what’s going on. If I was to guess I’d say there’s a line of PHP above line 41 that’s open (i.e.: doesn’t have semicolon “;” line ending, or doesn’t close PHP ” ?>” )

If this doesn’t shed any light, paste lines ~20 to 45 on here, (surround the pasted text in backticks “`” to show it as code instead of plain text)

or not.

end if

should be

endif

one word

Thanks for the explanation. I think this is the chunk of code and maybe a partial line is missing? Appreciate your help.

“
<?php if ( have_posts() ) while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>

<div id=”nav-above” class=”navigation”>
<div class=”nav-previous”><?php previous_post_link( ‘%link’, ‘<span class=”meta-nav”>’ . _x( ‘←’, ‘Previous post link’, ‘twentyten’ ) . ‘</span> %title’ ); ?></div>
<div class=”nav-next”><?php next_post_link( ‘%link’, ‘%title <span class=”meta-nav”>’ . _x( ‘→’, ‘Next post link’, ‘twentyten’ ) . ‘</span>’ ); ?></div>
</div><!– #nav-above –>

<div id=”post-<?php the_ID(); ?>” <?php post_class(); ?>>
<h1 class=”entry-title”><?php the_title(); ?></h1>

<div class=”entry-meta”>
<?php twentyten_posted_on(); ?>
</div><!– .entry-meta –>

<div class=”entry-content”>
<?php the_content(); ?>
<?php wp_link_pages( array( ‘before’ => ‘<div class=”page-link”>’ . __( ‘Pages:’, ‘twentyten’ ), ‘after’ => ‘</div>’ ) ); ?>
</div><!– .entry-content –>

<?php if ( get_the_author_meta( ‘description’ ) ) : // If a user has filled out their description, show a bio on their entries ?>
<div id=”entry-author-info”>
<div id=”author-avatar”>
<?php echo get_avatar( get_the_author_meta( ‘user_email’ ), apply_filters( ‘twentyten_author_bio_avatar_size’, 60 ) ); ?>
</div><!– #author-avatar –>
<div id=”author-description”>
<h2><?php printf( esc_attr__( ‘About %s’, ‘twentyten’ ),
<?php endif; ?>
“

This theme was customized by the previous webmaster and I an concerned about reinstalling the theme as it will wipe out all these settings.

the line

<h2><?php printf( esc_attr__( 'About %s', 'twentyten' ),

is incomplete. someone must of accidentally deleted the end of the line

it should have something like

<h2><?php printf( esc_attr__( 'About %s', 'twentyten' ), get_the_author()  ) ?></h2>

THANK YOU DAVID! Your assistance very much appreciated! By adding the missing segment of code, the single post, well… post. All’s well and working as designed.