Although a plethora of language textbook analysis studies has been conducted, little prior research has focused on grammar exercises in English language textbooks in which a functional grammar perspective is adopted. The current study aims to unearth which extent grammar exercises in English textbooks used in a junior high school in Indonesia engage students in meaning-making. Informed by systemic functional grammar theory (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014), I focused on finding functional grammar representation in the chosen English language textbooks where the mandated English language curriculum endorses genre- and text-based language pedagogy in an Indonesian secondary school context. The result emphasized that textbook 1 implemented functional grammar in designing the grammar exercises. However, textbook 2 is not implementing traditional grammar in designing the grammar exercises. The implication gave a catalyst for providing practical guidelines for language teachers, the textbook’s authors, and the textbook developers to shift from traditional English grammar exercises to functional English grammar activities