DEV C ++ Error: expected declaration before '}' token

What does this mean? My program goes like this: (NOTE: The line that has the error was the line coming before case 2.)

case 1:
{
cout<< "C * H * E * M * I * S * T * R * Y \n\n";
cout<< "1) What is the valence electron configuration of Selenium (Se)?\n\n";
cout<< "\na) 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2\n\n";
cout<< "\nb) 1s2 2s2 2p2\n\n";
cout<< "\nc)4s2 4p4\n\n";
cout<< "\nd) 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p5\n\n";
cout<< "Enter your answer:\n";
cin>> answer;

if (answer == 'c')
{
    cout<<"Your answer is correct. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";
}
else
    cout<< "The correct answer is C. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";

getch ();
}

getch ();
cout<< "2) Which element yields the biggest atomic radius?\n\n";
cout<< "\na) Ca\n\n";
cout<< "\nb) Xe\n\n";
cout<< "\nc) B\n\n";
cout<< "\nd) Cs\n\n";
cout<< "Enter your answer:\n";
cin>> answer;
if (answer == 'd')
{
    cout<< "Your answer is correct. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";
}
else
    cout<< "The correct answer is D. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";

getch ();
}

cout<< "3) Name the ionic compound K2 Cr2 O7\n\n";
cout<< "\na) potassium chloride\n\n";
cout<< "\nb) potassium carbonate\n\n";
cout<< "\nc) potassium chromite\n\n";
cout<< "\nd) potassium chromate\n\n";
cout<< "Enter your answer:\n";
cin>> answer;
if (answer == 'd')
{
    cout<< "Your answer is correct. Please press the enter 开发者_高级运维key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";
}
else
    cout<< "The correct answer is D. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";


getch ();
}
}
case 2:
{
cout<< "G * E * O * M * E * T * R * Y \n\n";

The error, as noted in the title is expected declaration before '}' token at the line noted in my opening paragraph.

I think you want this:

if (answer == 'd')
{
    cout<< "Your answer is correct. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";
}
else
    cout<< "The correct answer is D. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";


getch ();
}
}

To look like this:

if (answer == 'd')
{
    cout<< "Your answer is correct. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";
} else {
    cout<< "The correct answer is D. Please press the enter key to proceed to the next question.\n\n";
    getch ();
}

It looks like you lost track of your scope immediately following the else.

After I reformatted your code so it would display tolerably on the website, the errors stand out pretty clearly.

I would recommend, when you use brackets around the if clause, also use them around the else clause:

 if (foo) {
     /* ... */
 } else {
     /* ... */
 }

Leaving off the brackets is quite fine if both cases are just one statement. And while there's no requirement about putting brackets around both clauses if only one needs them, I have found plenty of bugs around if statements with brackets around only one path. It's surprising. :)

On a further note, a text editor with bracket-matching capabilities would be a huge assistance. Many editors will highlight brackets that aren't properly nested, and some provide a key to jump between them quickly. (In vi and clones, the % key will bounce between (), {}, [] and <> pairs. Very handy.)

There are two }'s right before the case. Where are the corresponding {'s? Especially the last else looks a bit lonely.

Seems you have a superflous "}" after each getch:

 getch ();
 }
^^^