grammar - Is the word 'outside' a preposition or a noun in this context?


In the sentence 'The outside of the folder got wet,' is the word 'outside' a preposition or a noun? How do you decide if a particular area is described, a preposition becomes a noun? For example, in 'on the playground', 'on' is a preposition. Here again, it refers to a particular area. I have been through many sites, but none with a proper explanation of how the preposition turns into a noun in these contexts.




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