What are the sections that divide novels and plays called?

The sections that divide novels and plays are commonly referred to as "Chapters" in novels and "Acts" in plays. This terminology is widely accepted and recognized in literary studies. Chapters are subdivisions within a novel, helping organize the narrative into manageable segments, while Acts serve a similar purpose in plays, breaking the performance into distinct parts that often correspond to different phases of the story.

This distinction facilitates the reader's or viewer's understanding of the structure and progression of the plot or themes within the work, making it easier to follow the storyline. In contrast, terms like "Scenes and Verses" do not accurately capture the divisions used in both genres, as verses are more commonly associated with poetry than with plays or novels. "Sections and Themes" does not pertain to the structural divisions of the texts either, focusing instead on thematic elements of literature. "Parts and Parts" lacks specificity and does not reflect the conventional terminology used in literary discourse. Thus, the phrasing "Chapters and Acts" accurately identifies the structural components used in novels and plays respectively.