What fraction of the figure shown is shaded? [Note: The figure is composed entirely of \( 1 \times 1 \) squares.]

To determine the fraction of the figure that is shaded, you first need to count the total number of squares and then count how many of those squares are shaded. If the figure has, for example, 20 total squares and 5 of them are shaded, the fraction would be 5 shaded squares out of 20 total squares, which simplifies to \( \frac{1}{4} \). Next, it's always good to double-check your work! Make sure you’ve accounted for all the squares accurately and reassess the shaded area to confirm your counts match the visual representation you have.