To solve this question, the user needs to know the definition and purpose of a subquery.

A subquery is a query that is nested inside another query and returns data that will be used by the main query. It can be used to retrieve data based on an unknown condition and to filter data from a table.

Now, let's go through each option and explain why it is right or wrong:

A. create groups of data: This option is incorrect because creating groups of data is typically done using the GROUP BY clause, not a subquery.

B. sort data in a specific order: This option is incorrect because sorting data is typically done using the ORDER BY clause, not a subquery.

C. convert data to a different format: This option is incorrect because data conversion is typically done using functions like CAST or CONVERT, not a subquery.

D. Retrieve data based on an unknown condition: This option is correct. A subquery can be used to retrieve data based on an unknown condition, such as selecting all employees with salaries greater than the average salary.

Therefore, the answer is: D.