Stateing Past Actions With Specified Time

Question

When we specify the time with past tense do we state the final point of the action or the time interval in which the action happend (started and ended)?

For example I started washing our car at 11:00 and the action finished at 11:59 and now I am telling my wife that I washed the car when we are at the dinner in the evening which sentence should I use ?

"I washed the car at 11 a.m."( because it includes 11:00-11:59 the time interval in which the action localizes )

"I washed the car at exactly 11:59"(actions final point )

Answer 1

There is no rule concerning whether we state the start-time of an action, its end-time or its duration.

If the action takes as long as it does to wash a car we would probably say, "I washed the car this morning," or if more precision is needed, "At 11.00 this morning I went (out) and washed the car." If even greater precision is called for we might say, "I washed the car from 11.00 till 12.00 this morning." One would only need to tell one's wife, "I washed the car from 11.00 till 11.59 this morning" if she was profoundly suspicious.

You suggest: "I washed the car at exactly 11:59"(actions final point) We wouldn't say that, though we might say, "I finished washing the car at exactly 11.59."

Answer 2

I think we have to use two verbs here to give the clear expression. I started washing the car at 11:00 and finished at 11:59.