Explore how Ishiguro presents ideas about identity in *Never Let Me Go*. In your answer, you must refer to the context of the novel.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme. The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. AO1 (8 marks): Develop an informed personal response. Organise and express ideas clearly. Use appropriate literary critical vocabulary.
2. AO2 (16 marks): Analyse ways writers use language, structure and form to create meanings and effects.
3. AO4 (16 marks): Explore relationships between texts and contexts.
4. Excellent (7-8 marks AO1): Perceptive, analytical and evaluative personal response. Sustained application of sophisticated literary critical terminology. Ideas are organised coherently and presented with sustained clarity and fluency.
5. Good (5-6 marks AO1): Clear, evaluative personal response. Ideas are organised clearly and presented with clarity and fluency. Use of literary critical terminology is appropriate.
6. Sound (3-4 marks AO1): Relevant personal response. Ideas are organised and presented with some clarity and fluency. Use of literary critical terminology is sometimes appropriate.
7. Limited (2 marks AO1): Some limited personal response. Ideas are organised and presented with limited clarity and fluency. Limited use of literary critical terminology.
8. Basic (1 mark AO1): Undeveloped personal response. Ideas are basic in organisation and presentation. Basic use of literary critical terminology.
9. Excellent (13-16 marks AO2): Perceptive and detailed analysis of writer’s use of language, structure and form, with consistent exploration of meanings and effects. Consistently uses relevant textual evidence.
10. Good (9-12 marks AO2): Clear and relevant analysis of writer’s use of language, structure and form, with clear exploration of meanings and effects. Uses relevant textual evidence.
11. Sound (5-8 marks AO2): Relevant analysis of writer’s use of language, structure and form, with some exploration of meanings and effects. Uses some relevant textual evidence.
12. Limited (3-4 marks AO2): Limited analysis of writer’s use of language, structure and form, with limited exploration of meanings and effects. Uses limited textual evidence.
13. Basic (1-2 marks AO2): Undeveloped analysis of writer’s use of language, structure and form, with basic exploration of meanings and effects. Uses basic textual evidence.
14. Excellent (13-16 marks AO4): Perceptive and detailed exploration of relationships between text and contexts. Sophisticated integration of contextual knowledge into argument.
15. Good (9-12 marks AO4): Clear and relevant exploration of relationships between text and contexts. Clear integration of contextual knowledge into argument.
16. Sound (5-8 marks AO4): Some relevant exploration of relationships between text and contexts. Some integration of contextual knowledge into argument.
17. Limited (3-4 marks AO4): Limited exploration of relationships between text and contexts. Limited integration of contextual knowledge into argument.
18. Basic (1-2 marks AO4): Undeveloped exploration of relationships between text and contexts. Basic integration of contextual knowledge into argument.