Modulation is different though; He said it in the context of using the two chords in a revolving chord change, or that's how I perceived it.
Your teacher isn't giving you bull****, he's trying to help you learn the fretboard. What I'm saying is, don't learn the board in 'patterns'. Learn the board in notes! You will not know what the hell you are playing if you simply play off of patterns. Too many kids learn to play 'patterns', never learning what any of it means, and generally it sounds like sh|t.
So, now that we are past the misunderstanding, your teacher isn't giving you bull****, but the idea of patterns is bull****. Yes, there are patterns on the fretboard; No, you don't have to follow them! Once you start thinking "Hm....This is the pattern...." you are forcing your creative side to limit what notes you play, and so on.
So Please, do not think of them as patterns. Think of them as possibilities.
~Incidents