The three-act structure is composed of which three acts?

• A. Introduction, Development, Conclusion.
• B. The three acts structure consists of Setup (Act I), Confrontation/Tension (Act II), and Resolution (Act III).
• C. Beginning, Middle, End.
• D. Exposition, Rising Action, Climax.

Answer: (B)

The three-act structure divides a story into three essential phases: Setup, Confrontation/Tension, and Resolution. In the first phase, you establish the world, introduce the characters, and present the situation, often with the inciting incident that kicks the story into motion. The middle phase is the longest and centers on escalating conflict and obstacles—the confrontation or rising tension that tests the protagonist and raises the stakes. In the final phase, the story moves toward closure, resolving the conflicts and delivering the outcome.

This labeling is why the best answer uses Setup (Act I), Confrontation/Tension (Act II), and Resolution (Act III). Other common phrases like Introduction/Development/Conclusion or Beginning/Middle/End are accurate in a loose sense but don’t map as precisely to the formal three-act framework, and Exposition/Rising Action/Climax describes plot progression rather than naming the three acting parts themselves.