What part of speech is a few?

"A few" can be either a determiner or a pronoun, depending on its use in a sentence.

Determiner: When "a few" modifies a noun, it acts as a determiner, specifying a small quantity.

* Example: "I have a few books on my shelf." (Here, "a few" modifies the noun "books").

Pronoun: When "a few" stands in for a noun, it acts as a pronoun.

* Example: "A few came to the party, but not many." (Here, "a few" refers to a group of people previously mentioned or understood).