Using a content analysis qualitative approach, this study try to investigate
the lexical density especially the lexical items foundon the reading text in Bahasa
Inggris textbook in Grade X of Senior High School published by the Ministry of
Education and Culture of Indonesia. The data were gathered from the textbooks.
There are 15 reading texts which are categorized into different kinds of text. There
are descriptive, recount, functional and narrative texts.
First, the data were analyzed by identifying which words in a sentence are
content words. Second, classifying the content carrying lexical items (adverb,
noun, adjective, and adverb) and wrote each of them with different writing. Third,
using Ure's method to determine lexical density (1971). Fourth, analyzing the data
to determine the distribution of lexical density of the reading text.
The findings shown all of the written texts in the Bahasa Inggris textbook
for X grade of Senior High School of 2013 curriculum 2017 revised, published by
the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, contain more content carrying
lexical items than non-content carrying lexical items. Based on Ure’s (1971)
theory, this textbook's reading text is described as quite difficult.