METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

By raising a temperature of an element portion of a particulate matter sensor (8) that is arranged in an exhaust passage (4) of an internal combustion engine (2), a heat generation amount that results from the combustion of particulate matters is detected, during a removal treatment of removing, through combustion, particulate matters that are deposited on the element portion. Besides, an amount of particulate matters that are deposited on the element portion of the particulate matter sensor (8) is detected on the basis of an output of the particulate matter sensor (8), before the start of this removal treatment. On the other hand, an amount of particulate matters that are deposited on the element portion before the start of the removal treatment is detected in accordance with the heat generation amount. Furthermore, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the particulate matter sensor (8), on the basis of a difference between a first particulate matter amount that is detected on the basis of the output of the particulate matter sensor (8) and a second particulate matter amount that is detected on the basis of the heat generation amount.