Use MLA book format: O’Brien. The Things They Carried. Publisher, Year; cite pages in text as (O’Brien 23).
If you’re writing a paper that uses Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, the citation work comes down to two moves. First, build a Works Cited entry that matches the exact version you read. Then, tie every quote or paraphrase to the page numbers with clean in-text citations.
This article gives you copy-ready MLA patterns for the most common classroom cases: a print copy, an e-book, an audiobook, and a single story from the collection. You’ll also get quick checks that prevent the slips teachers spot fast.
What You Need Before You Format Anything
MLA citations are built from source details, not from what a search box guesses. Grab the title page and the copyright page (also called the verso). Those two pages usually contain the publisher name and the year you must cite.
- Author: Tim O’Brien
- Title: The Things They Carried (sometimes printed with the subtitle A Work of Fiction)
- Publisher: varies by edition
- Publication year: varies by edition
If your copy shows multiple years, use the year tied to the edition you used. In most student papers, that’s the year on the copyright page for the version in your hands.
MLA Citation Of “The Things They Carried” For Works Cited
A standard MLA Works Cited entry for a book is built from four core parts: author, title, publisher, and year. The MLA Style Center lays out the book pattern in its “How to Cite a Book” post, which is handy when your source has extra pieces like an edition statement or a translator.
See the MLA’s book format details here: How to Cite a Book.
Works Cited Entry For A Common Print Edition
If you used a standard print copy and your title page lists Houghton Mifflin with a 1990 publication date, this Works Cited entry fits that edition:
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.That line follows the MLA order: author (last name first), italicized book title, then publisher and year. MLA does not require the city of publication for most modern books.
If Your Copy Uses The Subtitle
Many classroom copies print the title as The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction. In MLA, keep the subtitle if it appears on your title page, and italicize the full title including the subtitle.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.Use the wording and punctuation your edition prints. Your goal is a citation that points to the same item someone could locate in a library catalog.
How To Pull The Publisher And Year From The Book
When students get stuck, it’s often because the jacket and the title page don’t match. A paperback jacket might show an imprint, while the copyright page shows the publisher line.
- Open to the title page and confirm the full title and subtitle.
- Turn to the copyright page and find the publisher name and the publication year.
- If the book lists an edition statement, note it (such as “First Mariner Books edition”).
If you used a school-issued copy, cite the details on that copy, not the first edition details you find online.
Works Cited Entry For An E-Book Version
If you read an e-book, your citation still starts with author and title, then lists the publisher and year for that e-book edition. Add the container or platform when it helps identify the format.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Mariner Books, 2009. Kindle edition.Not every platform prints “Kindle edition” as a formal label. Use the wording your device shows, or use a short format label that clearly identifies the e-book.
Works Cited Entry For An Audiobook Version
Audiobooks can be streamed, downloaded, or borrowed through a library app. When your audio version lists a narrator, that detail can help readers locate the same recording.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Narrated by Bryan Cranston, Audible Studios, 2013.Use the publisher or producer tied to the recording you used, plus the release year shown on the platform page.
MLA Citation For The Things They Carried With Edition Details
Edition lines matter when your teacher is checking that your Works Cited entry matches the exact copy you used. Many popular classroom copies are later printings, and they may list a different publisher line such as Mariner Books or Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
| What You’re Citing | Works Cited Pattern | In-Text Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Print book (single author) | Last, First. Title. Publisher, Year. | (Last Page) |
| Print book with subtitle | Last, First. Title: Subtitle. Publisher, Year. | (Last Page) |
| Book with edition statement | Last, First. Title. Edition, Publisher, Year. | (Last Page) |
| E-book | Last, First. Title. Publisher, Year. E-book label. | (Last Chapter/loc.) |
| Audiobook | Last, First. Title. Narrator, Producer, Year. | (Last time stamp) |
| Story in the collection | Last, First. “Story Title.” Book Title, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. | (Last Page) |
| Intro by another writer | Intro writer last, first. “Introduction.” Book Title, by Author, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. | (Intro writer Page) |
| Translated edition | Last, First. Title. Translated by Name, Publisher, Year. | (Last Page) |
| Edited book (not this source) | Last, First, editor. Title. Publisher, Year. | (Last Page) |
The table gives you the skeleton, but your paper needs the real data from your copy. If your edition lists “First Mariner Books edition,” place that edition note after the title.
When To Add An Edition Line
Add an edition line when the book calls itself an edition, a revised text, or a special printing. In many cases, this shows up right under the copyright notice.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction. First Mariner Books edition, Mariner Books, 2009.If your copy has no edition statement, skip it. MLA rewards clean, relevant details.
If Your Teacher Wants Page Ranges For A Single Story
Sometimes an assignment focuses on one story, not the whole book. In that case, you can cite the story as a part of the collection. Use quotation marks for the story title, then the italicized book title, then the page range for the story.
O'Brien, Tim. “The Things They Carried.” The Things They Carried, Houghton Mifflin, 1990, pp. 1-25.Use the page range that matches your edition. Page spans can differ across printings, so pull the range from your table of contents or the page numbers where the story starts and ends.
In-Text Citations That Match Your Works Cited
In MLA, in-text citations point readers to the entry on your Works Cited page and to the exact page where your borrowed line appears. The MLA Style Center’s overview keeps the author-page rule simple and shows how to avoid repeating the author name.
See the MLA’s in-text citation rules here: In-Text Citations: An Overview.
Basic Pattern For Quotes And Paraphrases
If the author’s name is not in your sentence, the parenthetical citation includes the last name and the page number with no comma:
... (O'Brien 74).If you name the author in your sentence, only the page number goes in parentheses:
O'Brien describes the load as both physical and emotional (74).Those two options cite the same source. Pick the one that reads smoother in your paragraph.
Citing Two Pages Or A Page Range
If your quote spans two pages, cite the range with a hyphen:
... (O'Brien 74-75).If you cite separate pages in one spot, separate them with commas:
... (O'Brien 12, 74, 191).What If Your E-Book Has No Page Numbers?
Some e-book readers show location numbers or chapter markers instead of pages. MLA prefers page numbers when they exist. When they don’t, use the markers your version provides, and name the chapter or section in your sentence so the reader can find it.
Sample citation using a chapter label:
In “How to Tell a True War Story,” O'Brien links truth to storytelling (ch. 3).Use a short, clear label such as “ch.” only when the platform offers no stable page numbers.
Common Slips And Clean Fixes
Most MLA errors in student papers fall into a small set of patterns. The fix is usually one line: match your edition, format names correctly, and keep in-text citations tight.
| Task | Correct MLA Model | Slip To Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Cite the whole print book | O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Publisher, Year. | Adding extra city data you don’t need |
| Cite a subtitle edition | The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction | Dropping the subtitle when your title page prints it |
| Cite an edition line | Edition, Publisher, Year. | Calling a printing an edition without a label |
| Cite a story from the collection | “Story Title.” Book Title, pp. xx–xx. | Italicizing the story title |
| In-text citation for a quote | (O’Brien 74) | Using a comma: (O’Brien, 74) |
| Name the author in the sentence | O’Brien … (74) | Repeating the name: O’Brien … (O’Brien 74) |
| Cite two pages | (O’Brien 74-75) | Writing “74–75” with extra words inside parentheses |
| E-book without pages | Name the chapter + cite the marker | Using page numbers you can’t verify |
| Match apostrophes | O’Brien | Typing Obrien or O Brien |
Quick Checklist For A Clean Submission
Use this checklist right before you submit.
- Your Works Cited entry matches the publisher and year on your copy.
- The title is italicized, including any subtitle shown on the title page.
- The author name is “O’Brien, Tim,” not “Tim O’Brien.”
- Every borrowed line has an in-text citation, and the page number matches your copy.
- In-text citations use the author-page form with no comma.
Two Copy-Ready Templates You Can Fill In
Use these templates, then swap in your edition details.
Template For The Whole Book
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. [Publisher], [Year].Template For A Single Story In The Collection
O'Brien, Tim. “The Things They Carried.” The Things They Carried, [Publisher], [Year], pp. [Start]-[End].Use the second template when your assignment points to one story and you want your Works Cited entry to reflect that narrower source.
Where The Keyword Fits In Your Paper
You may see the phrase mla citation of “the things they carried” in prompts, rubrics, or search results. In your paper, your citations don’t use that phrase as a label. Your paper uses the MLA formats shown above, and your Works Cited entry and in-text citations do the work.
Final Check On Your Citations
Run one last match test: does your Works Cited entry point to the same edition you read, and do your parentheses point to the same author name on that list? If yes, your citations are lined up, and your reader can track every borrowed line without friction.
One more time, the phrase mla citation of “the things they carried” is a search label. Your paper’s job is to present the citation in MLA form and to cite pages in your sentences with the author-page pattern.