هل الحياة في الشرق الأوسط مثل الحياة في أمريكا؟

[denis_c]

Hi all,
I'd appreciate some explanation of why in the sentence below (EMSA by Abboud, McCarus, Lesson 29) مثل is in the accusative:
هل الحياة في الشرق الأوسط مثل الحياة في أمريكا؟
Is it because there's an implied verb ("is" in English)?
Thanks!

 

[akhooha]

Here مِثْلَ is not a noun and is not in accusative form. It is a preposition and the form of this preposition does not change.

 

[denis_c]

Here مِثْلَ is not a noun and is not in accusative form. It is a preposition and the form of this preposition does not change.

Interesting!
Thank you very much.
Have to figure out when to use it as an inflected noun and when - as an unchangeable preposition.

 

[Abbe]

Edited

 

[WadiH]

Wait, why isn’t it مثلُ? I don’t think it’s a preposition.

 

[fdb]

mithla (preposition), and mithlu (noun in the construct state) are both correct.

 

[Sadda7]

Wait, why isn’t it مثلُ? I don’t think it’s a preposition.

I also think it is مثلُ, which would be خبر of ُالحياة.