The simple past tense has various uses; here are two:
First Use: Simple past is used to show a completed action in the past and we know the time that the action completed.
I saw a movie yesterday.
Second Use: But the Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
So, when we say "He didn't like tomatoes before.", we imply that
"Now he likes tomatoes"
mar‧ried /ˈmærid/ (adjective): having a husband or a wife
See this sentence "I was married two years ago"
Now, if we apply the First Use to that sentence, it means "I had a wife
two years ago". But the First Use does not say that is no longer true. So,
it could be I still have the same wife now.
But, in reality, people often say "I have been married for two years"
instead of "I was married two years ago"
If we apply the Second Use, it means that I do not have a wife now.
I am having some feeling that the First Use does not apply to State verbs
such as be, see, hear, want, and need. In other words, State
verbs only have the Second Use and not the First.
So, "I wanted an apple yesterday" means "I don't want an apple now
But maybe I am mistaken.
So, could "I was married two years ago" have many different meanings?
Best Answer
The two meaning have to do with the word "married". Married is both a state of union, but also the ceremony. "I was married two years ago", could refer to...
Regarding the question of the 2 Uses described by the OP. I would caution that the second use would not necessarily apply to a state that is no longer active. It often is dependent on the context. As you can see in the second example provided in this answer, there is no issue grammatical issue, whether the condition continues to the present or not. Other phrases like "but" or "however" may be helpful to discern if there is an on going state.
"I wanted an apple yesterday, but not anymore."