It is an object of this invention to restrain blow-by gas from reaching a catalyst during fuel cutoff, and protect the catalyst while coping with an increase in oil dilution amount resulting from the use of alcohol fuel, in an internal combustion engine that uses the alcohol fuel. An engine is equipped with a PCV mechanism that introduces blow-by gas in a crankcase into an intake system. Besides, when fuel cutoff is executed with the PCV mechanism in operation, an opening degree of a throttle valve during fuel cutoff is set on the basis of an oil dilution amount in lubricating oil. Thus, the throttle opening degree during fuel cutoff is adjusted in accordance with a generation amount of blow-by gas, so that an intake negative pressure can be appropriately reduced. Accordingly, during fuel cutoff, the amount of blow-by gas that is sucked out from the crankcase due to the intake negative pressure and introduced into the intake system can be held small.